I'm much more me when I'm with you
by RememberTheDragons
Summary: As a result of Lila's lies, Marinette and Adrien spend more and more time together. Add in a certain Queen Bee, and new friendships begin to form while old ones crumble.
1. Sexual Harassment and Adrinette

**Chapter One – Sexual Harassment and Adrinette**

Adrien doesn't mind sitting next to Lila. He doesn't mind helping Lila with her school work, provided she _actually_ does her school work. He _does_ mind when Lila lies to sit up the front with him, meaning that two other people have to move just so she can; one his best friend, and the other the girl he's trying so hard to protect. He _does_ mind when Lila tells lies; about Ladybug, Marinette, their so called 'relationship', and about her arthritis, tinnitus, and any other injury she makes up to get people to bow down to her every need.

And, most of all, he _does_ mind when Lila leans into him, whispers in his ear, runs her hand up his leg.

Adrien grits his teeth, trying to ignore the girl's weight against his arm, the comments she keeps whispering in his ear. If they were about the work, that might've been okay, but they're not. They're about their classmates, the teachers, Paris's superheros. He tries to pay attention to what Ms Bustier is saying. Something about the comprehension of a poem. Or perhaps the structure of a prose fiction.

He glances at the clock. Half an hour. Just half an hour and then he can escape for a while, run off to his bodyguard and go home for lunch. He can make it. He knows he can. He's Cat Noir, he's waited this long for Ladybug's heart, he can wait for lunch.

But he can't. Not with Lila. Not with her leaning against him, not with her hot breath against his ear every time she whispers something, not with her constant string of lies. The final straw is when she puts her hand on his thigh, sliding it up slowly towards his–

He jumps up, grabs his things, and almost sprints up the stairs to the back of the room. Marinette stares at him in surprise, and he smiles at her, ignoring Ms Bustier's surprised "Adrien?" and Lila's whining.

"Can I sit with you?"

Her response is pushing back against the seat, allowing him to slip past her and sit down. He sits his bag on the ground at his feet, and the rest of his things back on the desk. Marinette frowns at him, wondering what happened, but he just smiles and shakes his head slightly. As if understanding what he means, she turns back to her work.

Ms Bustier frowns at him, but thankfully it appears to be more out of concern then annoyance. He feels something brush against his leg and jumps, but when he looks down it's just Marinette putting a folded note onto the bench between their legs. He moves it onto his thigh and unfolds it.

_Are you okay?_

He looks up at her and she smiles, concern evident in every crevice of her face. He nods and shrugs. She seems to understand. Lila glares over her shoulder at him, but he makes a point to focus on Ms Bustier, hoping she does the same.

"You can pack your things away now." Ms Bustier says half an hour later. A quick glance at the clock tells Adrien they have about a minute until the bell.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Marinette says, turning to face him. He's surprised to see she's already put her things away.

"I'm fine, I just . . . I couldn't concentrate." He uses the excuse of grabbing his bag to look away from her.

"And you could from here?" There's no hidden question in her voice, just sincerity, and, maybe, a little hope. He smiles at her.

"Yeah."

She beams at him. "Good."

"Adrien?" Ms Bustier calls, and they both turn to face her. "Can you stay behind for a minute? I just want to talk to you."

"Yes Ms." The bell goes and everyone but Adrien, Lila and Chloé stand up. Adrien grabs Marinette's hand and she looks down at him questionably. "Can you stay?" She chews on her lip, glancing at their teacher, before nodding and sliding back into her seat.

"You girls can leave as well." Ms Bustier says, noticing they haven't left yet. Chloé gets up, muttering to herself. Lila stays put, so she stops in front of her desk and raises an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you weren't a girl, Lila."

Marinette snorts quietly next to him, and he grins, gripping her hand tighter. Lila glares at Chloé and makes a big show of getting out of her seat and leaving the classroom. Adrien and Marinette walk up to Ms Bustier's desk and wait patiently for her to start talking.

"You can go as well, Marinette. Adrien's not in trouble." She smiles kindly at her, and Marinette looks at him, grimacing in apology. She starts to slip her hand from his but he grips hers tighter, interlacing their fingers.

"I want her to stay." He says, looking back at Ms Bustier. "Please."

She smiles. "Okay; so long as Marinette's comfortable to do so." Said girl nods her confirmation. "I just wanted to know why you switched seats."

Adrien shifts uncomfortably, and Marinette leans against him slightly, squeezing his hand. Unlike with Lila, he knows she's just letting him know she's there.

"She was making me uncomfortable." Ms Bustier frowns slightly, leaning back against her desk.

"How so?"

"Um . . ." He glances at Marinette quickly. She smiles encouragingly, and he feels warmth flood through him. Warmth at the fact that, despite not knowing what happened, she's willing to stand by him. "She was whispering things in my ear, things that had nothing to do with the lesson. Or school. And she, um . . ." He feels his cheeks flush. "She kept touching me."

"Touching you?" Marinette asks at the same time as Ms Bustier.

"Where?" Their teacher adds, frown deepening in even more concern.

"My leg. She kept running her hand up it." Marinette squeezes his hand, and he squeezes back.

"Thank you for telling me. I will talk to her and make sure she is aware that that kind of physical contact is not appropriate, or welcome, in my classroom or this school." Marinette makes a move to leave and he pulls her back against him gently.

"Ms, when Lila says she needs to sit at the front of the classroom, rather than making Nino sit in Marinette's spot and Marinette sit at the back, can't you just move either Nino or I? Or Sabrina or Chloé, since they sit at the front of the class too."

"I'd like to keep Nino at the front of the class, I think he learns best that way. And Sabrina and Chloé have sat there all year." Adrien's shoulders deflate slightly.

"Marinette's sat in her seat all year, too." He mutters, but Marinette taps her finger against his hand, telling him to not be disrespectful. Judging by Ms Bustier's expression, she heard him.

"I'll take what you've said into account. I'll see you next lesson." She smiles at them, squeezing both of their shoulders in support.

"Did you tell her to stop?" Marinette asks once they're outside.

He bites his lip. "I . . . I didn't really think of that."

She shakes her head, bumping her shoulder against his. "Don't worry, a couple more unwanted touches and that'll be the first thing out of your mouth." She grins at him and he rolls his eyes.

"Are you going to the cafeteria?"

"No. I'm going home." The light tone in her voice disappears, and Adrien frowns at her in concern.

"How are you and Alya?"

"About the same as you and Nino."

"You picked up on that?" He scratches the back of his neck.

"Yeah," She smiles at him sadly. "I'm sure he'll come around though."

"I'm sure Alya will too."

She ducks her head, looking at her feet. "I hope so. I thought it'd be easy to go back to being alone."

He frowns, putting a hand on her shoulder to turn her to face him. "Pardon?"

She sighs, looking out over the courtyard. "I didn't really have many friends before Alya came. I was _friendly_ with the other girls, and with Nino, but we didn't really . . . hang out."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I'm glad we're all friends now." She smiles at him and he grins. Her smile falters. "At least, used to be." They continue down the stairs. "You go home for lunch, don't you?"

"Yeah." She bites her lip and fiddles with her fingers nervously. He's about to ask her what's wrong, when she trips over her feet. "Woah!" He exclaims, grabbing her upper arms before she can fall. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Fine mine. I–I mean I'm fine." She laughs nervously, cheeks flushing.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. Fine. Totally fine." She points finger guns at him, before facepalming. He bites his lip so he doesn't laugh.

"Good. I, uh, guess I'll see you after lunch?"

"Yeah," He pats her shoulder and moves past her, prepared to walk outside. "Wait!" He starts to turn around, when she grabs his hand and pulls him out of the doorway. "Do you want to come to mine for lunch?"

"Really?" A grin breaks out on his face when she nods. "Oh my God! That'd be great!" His smile disappears. "What about my bodyguard?"

"Why do you think we're huddled against the wall?"

He snorts. "Okay, everyday Ladybug," He winks at her and her cheeks flush, but she rolls her eyes. "What's your plan?"


	2. Ninja Antics

**Chapter Two – Ninja Antics**

Marinette's hand fits perfectly in his, Adrien realises. The thought startles him a little, but he smiles, pleased. He shifts his grip on her hand and she looks over her shoulder at him, grinning.

"Ready?" The challenge in her eyes sends a spark up his arm, and he knows a very Cat Noir smile is on his face.

"I was born ready."

She scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Dork."

He giggles and leans closer to her, his arm brushing against hers. The car is still there, obviously. He learnt from experience that saying he was staying at school for lunch didn't change anything; The Gorilla still comes to wait.

Like the ninjas they are, they sneak around the door, climb over the stair railing and land on the grass beside the stairs. From here, they peak over the stairs, making sure The Gorilla hasn't spotted them. Not that they can really tell. Adrien taps Marinette's arm and when she looks at him he makes a bunch of gestures, which she raises an eyebrow at.

"What?"

He sighs, feigning annoyance. "I'm going to duck behind that bin, you go for the tree, and then we'll meet across the road in that doorway."

"Good idea. One problem."

"What's that?"

"If you think that _shrubbery_ is a tree, I've got news for you."

A laugh escapes him so suddenly it shocks both of them. He clamps a hand over his mouth, but his shoulders still shake. Marinette glares at him, but he can see she's trying her hardest not to laugh as well.

It takes twice as long to get to Marinette's house, but they can both agree ducking behind bins and trees and hiding in doorways is _at least_ twice as much fun as simply walking. If Sabine is surprised to see Marinette and Adrien dive into the bakery like an akuma's outside shooting at them, she doesn't let it show. She simply sends them upstairs with some croissants and a reminder to keep an eye on the time.

"Your mum's cool." Adrien says, putting the last bite of croissant in his mouth. He hums in delight. "And this really is delicious!"

Marinette giggles. "I'm glad you like them. I'll have to bring you some one day."

He swallows quickly and gapes at her. "Really?"

"Yeah, of cause."

He beams at her. "You're amazing." He says, wonder making his voice breathy.

She rolls her eyes. "So are you."

The Gorilla's car is gone by the time they've snuck back to school (ducking behind the same bins, trees and into the same doorways, giggling the whole way), but that doesn't mean they forget their new–found game. They do stop once they get closer to the classrooms, however, because they are a little late, and some classes have already begun. They slip into Ms Mendeleiv's class still giggling, but they sober up quickly when she shoots them a glare.

Marinette ignores Alya and Nino's surprised looks, and grins at Adrien, who grins back and mimes the same gestures from earlier, trying to tell her to barrel roll under the table. She glares at him, but the smile ghosting her lips just adds fuel to the fire burning in his heart. He doesn't even hesitate to ask if they can have lunch together again the following day. She feels Lila's eyes burning into her when she says 'Yes'.

. . .

The next day they're even better at channelling their inner ninja. Adrien's pretty sure The Gorilla knows what he's up to – Marinette _does_ live across the road from the school; he can probably see them from the car – but he doesn't care. He'd rather duck behind trees and bins and, at one point, a person who had stopped in the middle of the street to text, with Marinette then anything. Even hanging out with Ladybug (because he has come to realise that the only time they see each other is when someone needs saving, and that's not exactly a good thing).

This time, Sabine lets them sample a piece of pie each – which is delicious, of course – before sending them off to school so they're not late. Once again they enter class giggling uncontrollably ("Seriously Marinette? A lamppost?" "Better than _shrubbery_!"), and slide into their seats at the back of the room, ignoring the Lila Fan Club crowded around Adrien's old desk. Marinette notices, sadly, that Alya's now sitting next to her, leaving Nino on his own.

Adrien notices too, but a quick glance at Marinette and he remembers the affronted look he got when he questioned her hiding place, and another log is added to the fire in his heart.

"Don't get too comfortable, everyone." Ms Bustier says, entering the classroom. Everyone quiets down and looks at her, confused. "Can everyone please come down to the front, it has been brought to my attention by a few students that the new seating arrangement is not in everyone's best interests." Marinette and Adrien look at each other in horror.

"Oh no." They say simultaneously.

Lila glares at them, hatred so pure in her eyes it's chilling. Marinette actually shivers, and Adrien grips her hand tightly. He doesn't miss the way Nino's eyes dart down to them, then back up to his face, or the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"In the front row on the left, can I have Lila and Chloé. Across from them, Adrien and Marinette. Behind them Nino and Alya, across from them Nathaniel and Sabrina. Behind them, Alix and Mylène. Ivan, you can sit in your old seat again, Kim and Max, you can sit behind Ivan, and Juleka and Rose, you can sit across from the boys." Everyone moves to their newly assigned seats, and Adrien beams at Marinette.

"There's no way Lila can get to us now." He murmurs in her ear as they settle into their seats, Adrien in his old one.

"You'd be surprised." She says dryly, shaking her head. He glances across the row to see that Chloé is already looking at them. She smiles at him, and he returns it, before facing the front.

Ms Bustier passes out a booklet that goes along with the previous lessons work. There aren't enough books for everyone, however, so it's one between two. Adrien slides over to Marinette, and she opens the book to the correct page, making sure they can both read it easily.

"Ms, I really think it would be beneficial to Marinette to have her own booklet. She doesn't seem to have the best eyesight, what with her walking into things all of the time." Lila smiles at Ms Bustier sweetly, and Marinette clenches her jaw. Adrien places his hand on her knee and rubs circles on her kneecap with his thumb. He leans into her.

"Don't let her get to you. She just wants a reaction."

"She wants you." She mutters under her breath, and Adrien's thumb freezes. Marinette stares at him in horror, cheeks flushing. "I–no, wait, I–I–I mean–"

"I appreciate your concern, but how I teach my students and your fellow classmates is not up to you, and it is not open for discussion."

Anger flickers briefly in Lila's eyes, before she smiles sweetly. "Of cause Ms, I didn't mean to undermine your teaching abilities. I was just concerned Marinette wouldn't get the opportunity to further her knowledge."

"I'll show you how to further your knowledge." Marinette mutters, and Adrien starts rubbing circles on her kneecap again.

"Thank you, Lila." Ms Bustier says, before addressing the class on what they're doing today.

"May I please go to the bathroom?" Marinette asks, about halfway through the lesson. Ms Bustier passes her the out–of–class pass and continues teaching.

"You must be happy about your new seating arrangement." Tikki says happily, beaming up at her holder.

Marinette grins. "I am. I had no idea how much of a dork Adrien is." Her smile falters. "I just wish Alya would believe me. It's not like Lila's even a good liar. You'd think as a reporter she'd be able to detect these things."

"Just stay optimistic Marinette. She can't keep it going forever. Eventually, her lies with begin to unravel."

"Yeah, but when? I don't know how much longer I can take it."

"Your Ladybug! If you can handle akumas you can handle _Lila_."

Marinette's shocked at the level of hostility in Tikki's voice, but she smiles. "Thanks, Tikki! You really are amazing."

When Marinette emerges from the toilet stall, she's not even surprised to see Lila leaning against the wall. Choosing to ignore her (and also not really in the mood to fight off an akuma), she keeps her gaze away from her and washes her hands, drying them on her jeans instead of the paper towels, which are next to Lila.

"You think you're so smart, don't you Marinette?" She says, stepping in front of her when she tries to leave. "You think I don't know what you're up to?"

"I don't have time for this, Lila. I have to go back to class." She moves to go around her, but Lila grabs her arm, hard.

"I know it was you who complained to Ms Bustier. Couldn't handle Adrien and I getting closer? Didn't he tell you we're going out?"

"If there was anything to tell, he'd tell me." She manages to get out, thankfully without the anger building inside her.

"Of course he would. Because you're 'so close', right?" Lila laughs, squeezing her arm tighter. She tries not to wince. There's no way she's about to let her know just how much she's hurting her. "You think he actually cares for you? He feels sorry for you. If I was you, I'd give up. He wants me, everyone wants me. They don't want you, and they never will. Why would they? It's not like you actually mean anything." Lila smiles at her, finally letting her go.

"You just want to hurt me Lila. But it's not going to work. Not this time."

"Sure, Marinette." She smirks at her and pushes the bathroom door open. She pauses and looks back over her shoulder, pure hatred shining in her eyes. "Alya was right; you are weak. You can't even stand up for yourself."


	3. Chloé Knows

**Chapter Three – Chloé Knows**

Adrien knows something has happened to Marinette as soon as he sees her. Lila came back from the bathroom _way_ to happy, while Marinette looks like she just got told her dog died. Or her cat. She sits stiffly beside him, staring at the board, although he doubts she's actually taking anything in. He flips his notebook open and turns to a new page.

Marinette glances at him questionably when he slides his notebook over to her, but he just glances down at it then at her. His pen is sitting in the middle of the page.

_Are you okay?_

She bites her lip and grabs the pen, scribbles _Not really_, and slides the book back to him. He writes something then pushes it back.

_Was it Lila?_

_Yes_.

_What did she say to you?_

Adrien watches Marinette hesitate, tapping his pen against the page lightly. There's a crease in her forehead where she's frowning, and he feels the sudden urge to kiss it away. He shakes the thought away, feeling his cheeks flush. _Friend_. _Friend_. _Friend_. _Friend_. She slides the book back over to him and faces the board.

_Nothing I didn't already know_.

Anger flicks through him and he turns to glare at Lila. His glare melts off his face when he meets Chloé's gaze again. She looks past him at Marinette, and instead of the pout or frown he's expecting, her mouth presses into a firm line, before she mouths _Okay?_ He shakes his head. She gestures her head in Lila's direction as subtly as she can, and he nods. She shakes her head, a look of annoyance on her face, and looks away from him.

He glances at Marinette again, but she's still facing the board. Feeling his gaze, her eyes flick to him. He offers her a small smile and she returns it, but there's no mirth in her eyes. As soon as the bell goes for the end of school, Marinette jumps from her seat and is out the door before Adrien's even gotten up. He walks a little faster to catch up with her, but someone grabs his arm

"Wha–" He says, expecting Lila.

Chloé raises an eyebrow at him. "What did Lila say to her?"

"Oh, um . . ." She taps her foot impatiently. "I don't know, she didn't say."

Chloé huffs. "Gosh, boys are ridiculous! Utterly _ridiculous_!" She storms away from him and he runs to catch up to her.

"What? She didn't want to talk about it."

"Maybe not, but as her boyfriend you should've coaxed it out of her." His eyebrows go up in surprise, and he feels his cheeks flush again. "It is _so_ much easier with girls." She mutters, crossing her arms.

"I'm not her girlfriend!"

"I didn't think you were."

"She's not my boyfr–_I'm_ not her boyfriend! We're not going out!"

Chloé raises an eyebrow at him, pausing at the top of the stairs. "I think you are. _You_ certainly act like you are." She moves past him again and he stumbles after her, gripping the railing.

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do." She pauses and turns to face him, putting her hands on her hips. She meets his gaze with a frown. "_Friends_ don't hold hands and sit as close as you do. It looked like you were almost sitting on top of her. And I saw that you were rubbing her knee."

He sputters, knowing he's now rivalling a tomato. "I–I–I was trying to calm her down, you heard Lila!"

"Yes, and I'm just as annoyed as you are."

"You are?" He can't hide the surprise in his voice, and she glares at him.

"Just because I don't like her doesn't mean I want her to be hurt by some lying . . . _lying harlot_!" She stomps her foot. If it was any other situation, Adrien would probably laugh at the childishness of the act contrasting with her expression.

"You know she's lying?" She gives him a deadpanned look and continues down the stairs. He rushes to catch up to her, falling into step with her as they cross the courtyard. "How'd you know?"

"You look at her like she's the most incredible person you've ever seen. Which is _moi_, obviously." She smirks at him.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Your girlfriend!"

"Oh, I was talking about Lila. And she's _not _my girlfriend!" He adds when her smirk widens.

She shrugs. "Sure, she isn't." They stop at the top of the stairs and he looks around for Marinette, but she's already disappeared. "Lila's a horrible liar. She can't even keep her facts right. I bet she doesn't even know what causes tinnitus." Adrien opens his mouth to reply, when Chloé flips her hair over her shoulder and grins at him. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye." He watches her walk down the steps to where her driver is waiting. It's only when she opens the door for herself that he realises Sabrina isn't with her. She hasn't been with her for a while.

. . .

They don't go to the bakery the next day. Instead they eat while walking through the park. Once they're done, they continue their game, because they _are_ still meant to be hiding from The Gorilla, even though Adrien's pretty sure he doesn't even care anymore, so long as his father doesn't find out.

They reach the fountain and Marinette runs around it. He tries to follow her, but she runs the other way; he switches directions; she does too. Eventually, they're both sprinting around the fountain, and Adrien's not sure who's running from who.

"I'll get you this time!" He calls out, giggling. He sprints to catch up to her.

"You will not!" She taunts over her shoulder, before stumbling over her feet. He grabs her so she doesn't go head–first into the fountain, but the momentum makes him stumble and he has to lean against her while trying to keep her upright so they don't fall.

It doesn't work.

Marinette lets out a small shriek as they fall, Adrien trying to twist so she lands on him. He's unable to so properly, but he does manage to keep her head from hitting the concrete. He stares down at her, his breath fast and irregular from the sprint. Hers is the same, and her cheeks are flushed from exertion.

He grins. "Told you I'd get you."

She snorts and rolls her eyes, before pushing him off of her. Her reaction reminds him of Ladybug, but he pushes that thought away. "Only because I'm clumsy." He's about to protest, but she sits up and smiles over her shoulder at him. His breath catches in his throat. "Otherwise I definitely would've beaten you, and I'd get to see what you're like when . . . do I have something on my face?" He jumps slightly, snapping himself out of his daze. She's frowning at him.

"No, I was . . . I was just thinking we'd better get back to school." He gets up and offers her his hand, which she takes.

"Okay?" She continues to frown at him, before a smile breaks out on her face. "Last one to school has to explain to Ms Mendeleiv why we're late!" She takes off, sprinting towards the gate.

"Hey! That's not fair!"

Once again, they enter class in a manner of chaos; Adrien still pouting that Marinette won, and Marinette trying to explain to Adrien that it was his own fault for not running as soon as she did. The only thing that gets them to stop is Ms Mendeleiv's glare at them. They murmur their apologies and take their seats, ignoring the confused looks from their fellow classmates (many of whom are wondering when Marinette stopped stuttering around Adrien).

"Settle down." Ms Mendeleiv snaps, and everyone faces the front. "Today we're going through your practice test papers. I am not happy about these scores; only two of you got above eighty. Please hand these out." She passes the papers to Adrien. "I expect better from all of you. It is not enough to just listen and take notes in class, you have to actually _revise_ them."

Adrien raises his eyebrows at Marinette, passing her and Alya their papers. She scrunches her nose at him, and he grins. She glances down at her paper and sees a folded note. _Oh no_.

"We're going to go through the papers, and I want you to take note of where you're making your mistakes. Adrien and Max, seeing as you are the only ones who _did_ reach my expectations, I'm going to pair you up with those who didn't even pass. Please come to the front." Her cold gaze scans over the class, and Marinette checks her mark quickly, sighing in relief when she sees that she got just under eighty.

While Ms Mendeleiv instructs Max and Adrien on who they're being paired up with, Marinette unfolds her note cautiously. A grin breaks out on her face, however, when she recognises the handwriting.

_I have a photoshoot tomorrow morning; do you want to hang out after? – Your partner in ninjas_.

Adrien raises an eyebrow at her as he goes past her, and she nods, beaming.


	4. Spaghetti

**Chapter Four – Spaghetti**

"I have nothing to wear!"

Tikki looks up from her cookie to raise an incredulous eyebrow at her holder. "That's not true."

"I have nothing to wear, besides what I wear every day." Marinette reiterates.

Tikki shakes her head fondly. "Why can't you wear that?"

"I wear it every day." She picks up a discarded dress from the floor, regarding it. "What if he thinks I only have one pair of clothes?"

"Adrien wears the same thing every day." Tikki points out, swallowing the rest of her cookie. She hovers over a maroon three–quarter sleeve shirt hastily thrown over the chaise that she knows brings out Marinette's eyes.

"He's a boy. He probably doesn't even notice a change in clothes." Marinette sighs and hangs the dress back up in her closet.

"Then why are you stressing over this?"

"Because _I'll_ notice." Tikki raises an eyebrow at her, and Marinette giggles. "It does sound a bit ludicrous, doesn't it?"

"Just a bit." Tikki giggles and lifts the shirt so the girl can see it. "What about this? You could wear it with the jeans your mum got you."

"The full–length ones?"

"Yeah!"

"I don't know." She takes the shirt from Tikki and holds it against herself, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "What if I get too hot and start sweating? And I don't even know what we're doing. He may just want to come here."

"It's a good thing you took down you Adrien shrine, then." Tikki says, nuzzling her cheek affectionally.

Marinette giggles. "Yeah. _That _would've been hard to explain." She regards herself in the mirror again, and sighs. "I just don't know Tikki! What do you think I should wear?"

"It doesn't matter what you wear, he wants to see you, not your clothes." Marinette smiles at her. "Besides, you always look beautiful."

"See? This is why I need Alya. At least _she_ gives me constructive criticism." Tikki sticks her tongue out, and Marinette giggles.

"You're going to have to decide soon. Adrien said to come at noon, and it's just past eleven now." Marinette sighs, glancing down at the shirt again.

"I just don't know, Tikki." She collapses onto her chaise, not caring she's sitting on her clothes. "I fantasied about Adrien and I going on dates – not that I think this is a date! It's obviously not – but every time I did . . ." She sighs. "Alya was always there, cheering me on. And pushing me towards him." She giggles. "She'd be so proud of me."

"And she will be, once Lila's shown her true colours." Tikki nuzzles the girl's cheek again and she smiles.

"What if she doesn't? What if she keeps it going?" Marinette lifts the sleeve of her pyjama shirt to inspect her arm. There's still a very slight red mark from Lila's grip, and the colour is slowly changing to look more like a bruise. "She's getting worse. I thought just threatening me was bad, but this . . ." She lets her sleeve fall. "It's a good thing it's cool outside."

"You should really tell your parents what she did. Or Ms Bustier. Or Adrien. Or Alya." Tikki sighs. "She kept asking you for your proof; there's your proof!" Marinette shakes her head, standing up.

"Lila would just find some way to twist it and make it out that I did it to myself, or just blame it on someone else." She runs her fingers through her hair – down, for once, and curled.

"It's still worth a shot. She shouldn't be able to get away with hurting you." Marinette cups her hands around Tikki and brings her towards her to kiss her forehead.

"She won't. Like you keep saying; sooner or later, her lies will unravel."

. . .

"Think of the spaghetti! It is delicious! Steaming! Oh no! The spaghetti has fallen on the floor! No, no, not angry, _sad_! Sad for spaghetti! Good! Scoop the spaghetti back onto your plate – five second rule! – _and it is still delicious_!"

Vincent snaps more photos, and Adrien tries his hardest to not laugh at his photographer's dialogue. You'd think by this point he'd be used to it. The elevator doors to the studio open and he spins around before he can think about it, making Vincent exclaim that the spaghetti is _not_ coming through the door.

Marinette spots him and smiles, giving him a small wave. He beams at her, rolling his eyes in Vincent's direction, before sighing dramatically. She giggles. This catches Vincent's attention and he stops complaining.

"Oh, I see. Your spaghetti _has _come through the door."

Adrien feels his cheeks flush, but thankfully Marinette didn't seem to hear what Vincent said. Nathalie directs her to a chair off to the side, before typing something on her tablet.

Marinette watches as Adrien melts back into his character, although she's confused as to how he's supposed to convey 'staring at his spaghetti with defecation'. She's had plenty of delicious meals, but never any that go to the level of praise where they need to be worshipped. After about a hundred more clicks of the camera, Vincent finally declares they are done for the day.

"Enjoy your spaghetti." Vincent whispers as Adrien goes past him, and he feels his cheeks flush.

Marinette smiles at him, standing up from her chair. Before he can reach her, he's whisked away by hair and makeup to remove all the product coating his face and all through his hair, and so he can change into his regular clothes.

"All that talk of spaghetti's made me hungry." Plagg says once they're alone in the changing room.

"But you don't like spaghetti." Adrien says, pulling the shirt over his head.

"No, but do you know what goes with spaghetti?"

Adrien sighs, removing the jeans. "Let me guess . . ."

"_CHEESE!_ Cheese is so amazing! You should take the princess to a cheese shop for your date. That would be _heavenly_!" He hums in delight, taking a piece of camembert out of Adrien's bag. Adrien rolls his eyes.

"It's not a date. And we're not going to a cheese shop. I'm never taking you to a cheese shop again. Not after last time." He pulls his jumper over his head.

"I told you! The asiago cheese was taunting me! It _wanted_ me to eat it!"

"It's _cheese_." He rolls his eyes again, before finishing getting dressed. He checks his reflection in the mirror, running his hands through his hair nervously, trying to style it in the way he usually does. "Do you think she'll think I'm trying too hard?"

"_Please_ tell me this isn't about your clothes again?" Plagg exclaims, glaring at him. "You spent an hour this morning debating what to wear, and I can't do it anymore! This is your father's forté, not mine."

"I just don't want her to think I only have one pair of clothes. Or multiples of the same shirt so I can wear it every day."

Plagg rolls his eyes. "She probably doesn't care."

"_I _care!" Plagg smirks at him.

"I thought you said it's not a date?"

"I did–"

"Then why are you acting like it's a date. Chloé was right, you do act like you're a couple." Adrien splutters and is about to protest again when there's a knock at the door.

"Adrien? It's, um, Marinette. Nathalie told me that we only have two hours before your Chinese–" He swings the door open, cutting Marinette off, and she jumps, stepping backwards in surprise.

"We only have two hours?"

"Oh, u–um, yeah?"

"We'd better make the most of them then!" He slings his bag over his shoulder and takes her hand, leading her down the hallway. She interlaces her fingers with his, and he smiles at her. "I didn't say 'hello'. Hi."

"Hi." She giggles, and his smile widens. "You look nice."

"Oh! Thank you! You do to."

"I do?" She stares at him in surprise and he nods, pulling her a little closer to him. Her purse brushes against his thigh.

"Yeah, beautiful." He feels his cheeks flush, but he knows it's nothing compared to the redness of her cheeks. She stutters out a 'thank you', ducking her head. He squeezes her hand.

"Adrien?" He turns his head to regard Nathalie, and they come to a stop in front of her. "I have arranged for your driver to take Marinette home in two hours' time. After that, you have your Chinese lesson." She looks over her tablet at them, and he doesn't miss the slight raise of her eyebrows when she notices their hands. "Where are you planning on going?"

"Oh, um, well . . ." He scratches the back of his head and glances at Marinette, who looks just as unsure as he is. "We hadn't really planned anything." Nathalie gives him an unimpressed look, before sighing. She starts typing on her tablet, and Adrien panics, thinking she's alerting his father that he no longer has anything planned for these two hours.

"W–We could have lunch, but, um . . . we kind of do that . . . already." Marinette says, voice starting out strong, but ending in a mumble.

"We could go to your house and play Ultimate Mecha Strick III." Adrien says, looking at her for confirmation. She nods. "But, um . . . I actually wanted to save that for a rainy day." He grins at her. Her eyes widen at the implication that he wants them to hang out again, outside of school, and her face breaks out in a grin.

"I have told your driver to take you to the zoo; it is an adequate place for a first date." Nathalie tells them stoically, closing the search tab on her tablet where she had Goggled 'first date venue ideas'. Adrien feels his cheeks flush. Beside him, Marinette's no better off.

"W–W–We're not–I mean, i–i–it isn't–" Marinette stutters.

"It's just, it isn't, we're not–" He stammers.

"Your driver is here. He will be with you at all times, but will not interfere."

"Th–Th–Thank you, Nathalie." For a brief moment, Adrien thinks he sees her smile.


	5. The Gorilla vs the Ninjas

**Chapter Five – The Gorilla vs the Ninjas**

Marinette taps her fingers against her leg nervously, glancing between Adrien and his driver. Adrien chews on his lip, trying to find something to say. Everything he comes up with is either a question, or something that doesn't actually lead to a conversation.

This is why he needs Nino.

"Um," He looks at Marinette, and she flushes at his gaze, glancing at The Gorilla again. "How was the photoshoot?"

"It was okay."

She nods, turning her head to look out the window. He looks out his own window. The car reaches a traffic light and stops. Plagg pokes his side and he pulls the collar of his jumper away from his body as subtly as he can. If Marinette was to look over, she'd think he was smelling himself.

"You got a text." He whispers, rolling his eyes. "And don't just sit in silence! It makes you seem like you don't want to be with her." Adrien glances at Marinette again. She's still looking out the window, but he can see from her reflection that she's chewing on her lip. He takes his phone out of his pocket, hoping it's not his father. He frowns when he sees it's from The Gorilla.

_Ask her about something she enjoys_.

His eyes widen and he looks up at The Gorilla, but now that they're through the traffic light he's focusing all of his attention on the road. He taps his phone against his thigh, glancing at her nervously.

"Um . . ." She startles and turns to face him. Whatever words he was going to say disperse and he finds himself staring at her. "Um . . . do you think it would be inappropriate to continue our . . ." He glances at The Gorilla, before leaning closer to her. She does the same to him. "Our ninja game?" He whispers. She grins at him, and his eyes flick down to her lips involuntarily. His cheeks flush, but thankfully she didn't seem to notice.

"It'd be strange not to." He smiles. "Are we also going to try and lose him?" They both glance at The Gorilla, who, while oblivious to the conversation, seems to be aware that they're leaning towards each other.

"Not _lose_ him, but definitely give him a run for his money."

A challenging glint shines in her eyes and he swears he's seen it before on someone else. "What do you have in mind?"

. . .

The Gorilla grunts, half walking, half running to try and keep up with the kids. They weave through the crowd of people, and while he can't see them, he can hear them giggling. He quickens his pace and puts his head on a swivel, making sure he doesn't miss them. He hears giggling off to his right, and makes a beeline for them.

Adrien snorts, watching The Gorilla go right past them. Marinette giggles, and shifts slightly. Her leg brushes against his, and she puts her hand on his shoulder for balance.

"I think we lost him." Adrien says, standing up from his crouch. Marinette grins up at him.

"He didn't really look very hard if he missed us." She says, taking his offered hand. He pulls her up, keeping a hold of her hand a little longer than necessary.

"I don't think he was expecting us to be hiding behind a bench." Adrien smiles at her.

"So, what animals do you want to see?"

He bites his lip and looks around. He spots a zoo map across from them and takes Marinette's hand again, leading her over to it.

"The black panthers?" He asks, pointing at them.

"Um, no. I–I don't . . . really like panthers." She points at the giraffes. "What about them?"

"Okay. You don't like panthers?" She chews on her lip, ducking her head. _How can she not like panthers? They're a cat!_

"Um, well . . . I like them, I just . . . do you remember Alya's dad?" He frowns. "He's a zoo keeper here. He's probably here today. When Nino and I were here, he was akumatised, remember?" His eyes widen.

"Oh, no, I–I wasn't here–" He stops at Marinette's deadpanned look, and grins sheepishly. "You knew?"

"Yeah. Nino told me." His cheeks flush and he scratches the back of his neck. She squeezes his hand so he looks back at her. "Alya was there too."

"She was? Why?"

"She was . . . coaching me. On what to say." She cringes, squeezing her eyes closed, taking her hand from his grasp. She waits for him to say she's weak, useless, that he doesn't even like her as a friend, he's just taunting her, leading her along so she gets a false sense of security–

Adrien bursts out laughing, and Marinette stares at him, not sure whether she should run or cry. He laughs harder at her shocked expression, before noticing the tears in her eyes and panicking.

"_No!_ No, I–I'm not laughing at you, I was, I just . . ." He groans, hiding his face in his hands. "I was coaching Nino!" It's silent for a second, before Marinette starts laughing. He stares at her through his fingers, feeling his cheeks flush to an almost dangerous temperature. She grins at him, shoulders still shaking, and he snorts, removing his hands from his face.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" She snorts, clamping a hand over her mouth. A high–pitch whine escapes her, and tears of joy stream down her face. He almost bites through his lip trying not to laugh. "Oh my _God_, I'm gonna wet myself!"

She crouches, and he does the same. He grips her shoulders and her hand rests on his knee. He tries to ignore how warm it is, even through his jeans. She breathes deeply, snorting every time she looks at him. He tries to keep his face neutral so she doesn't laugh, but she seems to find that even funnier. He rubs his hand up and down her arm, trying to comfort her. He's aware that people have started to look at them, but he doesn't care.

Until The Gorilla materialises in front of them.

The stern (and rather exasperated) look he gives them is enough to sober them both, and they stand up quickly, mumbling their apologies. The Gorilla raises his eyes skywards, sighing heavily. Adrien looks at Marinette out of the corner of his eye. She looks equally terrified and bemused.

"We were very excited about getting to the map." Adrien says as seriously as he can. The Gorilla raises an eyebrow at him. "So, giraffes?" He asks loudly, turning to Marinette. She nods vigorously, and he can see she's trying not to laugh again.

. . .

As soon as Marinette notices that The Gorilla (Adrien confessed that that's what he calls him, because he's huge and never speaks, just like a gorilla) has let his guard down around them again, distracted by watching a baby giraffe follow its mother around, she grabs Adrien's hand and they sneak away.

They break out in a run, dodging people and jumping over benches – and bird poop – giggling the whole way. When they're far enough away that The Gorilla won't catch up to them as easily, they slow down. Marinette drags him over to the meercats, and they spend a good fifteen minutes creating conversations between the meercats and narrating what they're doing. The Gorilla catches up to them again, but this time he just hovers behind them. Adrien thinks he hears him snort when Marinette starts narrating what one of the meercats is doing (she claims it's looking for buried treasure), but when he turns around The Gorilla's as stoic as ever.

The next time they run (this time, Adrien's the one who grabs Marinette's hand) The Gorilla takes even longer to find them. When he does, he simply checks they're not hurt – he must've seen Marinette almost run into a tree – before stepping back, simply interfering if someone gets too close to them.

"Okay, favourite zoo animal?" Marinette asks him, swinging their hands back and forth as they walk. Adrien puts his hand on his chin, miming thinking.

"Wild cats!"

She rolls her eyes, bumping her shoulder against his. "You sound like Cat Noir."

He startles and almost trips over his feet. The Gorilla grabs his arm, keeping him upright. Marinette looks behind them to look for what tripped him.

"You know Cat Noir?"

"We've met a few times." She frowns, not finding anything. Adrien realises that his hand is sweaty and removes it from her grasp to wipe it on his jeans. She trips almost immediately and The Gorilla grabs her, lifting her back onto her feet. "Thank you." She says to him, smiling. His mouth twitches, and he goes back to monitoring the crowd.

"Really? When?" Adrien obviously knows when, but he wants to hear her talk about his alter ego.

"When Nathaniel was akumatised, and a couple of times since when he's saved me." She chews on her lip. "He took me on a surprise he made for Ladybug, because she couldn't make it." Adrien smiles, but he feels the dull ache in his chest again when he remembers that night. He should've just gone for ice cream.

"What was he like?"

"A dork." He stops walking and stares at her, incredulous. She snorts, rolling her eyes. "He kept doing all of these . . . poses. And he did an excessive amount of tricks that just slowed down his reaction time. He needs to work on his execution of puns too; someone needs to tell him that the middle of a battle is _not_ when you joke around."

Adrien opens and closes his mouth, gaping at her. She's starting to remind him of Ladybug. Noticing his look, she panics a little.

"He's really nice though! He made sure the Evillustrator didn't hurt me, a–a–and he took me to Ladybug's surprise because I was upset, and–"

"Why were you upset?" He's been wondering about that for a while. She chews on her lip and ducks her head, but he doesn't miss her cheeks flushing.

"Oh, um, well . . ."

"Adrien! I'm so glad I ran into you." They both look up in surprise, and Adrien feels his heart sink when his eyes meet Lila.


	6. Chips Taste Better Stolen

**Chapter Six – Chips Taste Better Stolen**

Marinette feels dread rush through her, chilling her to her bones. Lila bounds over to them – over to Adrien, really – and it's only when she's standing almost on his feet, her arms wrapped around his, that she feigns only just noticing her.

"Oh, Marinette, hi! Fancy seeing you here?" She beams at Adrien. "You are _such_ a nice person for hanging out with her in your free time! I know you don't get a lot of that." She batts her eyelashes innocently.

Adrien frowns at the barely concealed insult, removing his arm from her grip. "Lila, what are you–"

"Oh! I nearly forgot!" She reaches into her purse and pulls out an envelope. "I'm having a party next weekend. The whole class is coming! Nino and Alya, Rose and Juleka, Nathaniel, Sabrina, Max and Kim, Mylène and Ivan, and Chloé and Alix! It's going to be amazing! Nino's DJing and–"

"Sorry, I won't be able to make it." He passes the envelope back. Her face falls.

"Why not? I really want you to come."

She grabs his hand and he steps back, trying to pull it from her grasp. She grabs his other hand, the envelop crumpling between their hands, and holds them together, close to her. His fingers graze her chest, and he stops struggling, not wanting to move too much in case he touches her.

"My father won't let me."

"You could still ask him. Please?" She pouts.

"He'll say no."

"But it's going to be a dress–up party! I'm going as Ladybug. You should see my costume, it's _amazing_–"

"I thought you didn't like Ladybug?"

She laughs, loud and fake. Her grip is starting to become painful, and he tries to pull his hands back towards him. "I was just mad at her for embarrassing me in front of you! I never actually hated her." She bats her eyelashes innocently again. "I know _you_ like her!"

He frowns, pulling harder on his hands. Her grip tightens and he winces. He hears footsteps, and then Lila's hands are removed forcefully from his. The Gorilla glares at Lila, and grabs his arm, dragging him away from her.

"Adrien?" Lila calls, trying to follow them, but The Gorilla is almost running.

"See you at school!" He says, hoping she gets the hint to leave them be. "Where's Marinette?" He asks, realising she isn't with them. The Gorilla grunts, and starts walking even faster.

They round the corner of the black panther enclosure, and Adrien spots Marinette hunched over on a bench, head resting on her fists. He tugs his arm from The Gorilla's grasp, not even noticing that he was already letting him go, and sprints over to her, coming to a stop as he reaches the bench. She startles, and wipes her cheeks quickly, hoping he didn't see her crying.

"Hi Adrien." She smiles at him, but there's still tears in her eyes. He collapses onto the bench and wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her against him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

He frowns at her, shifting even closer to her until there's hardly enough room for air between them. "And I'm Cat Noir."

She snorts, wiping a stray tear away. "You could be Cat Noir." She says, turning to look at him. The only thing that keeps him from panicking is the smile tugging at her lips. "You'd just have to stop taking everything so seriously. And say a lot of puns."

He snorts, free hand finding hers in her lap and squeezing. She looks down at their hands, flipping hers over and interlaces their fingers, squeezing back. "Puns are great." He murmurs.

She rolls her eyes. "It depends on their delivery." She turns to face him, smiling. His eyes flick down to her lips again. He realises how close they are and leans back at the same time she does, wide eyed and rivalling tomatoes.

"I'm sorry Lila was rude to you."

She shakes her head. "It's not your fault."

"I'm still sorry."

She looks away from him and he bites his lip, but then she leans towards him and kisses his cheek quickly. "Thank you."

He's pretty sure his heart just stopped.

. . .

"So, I was thinking," Adrien says as soon as Marinette sits down.

"That's never a good thing." She smirks at his glare.

"Hey!" She giggles, taking her things out of her bag and putting them on her desk. "Lila's having a party this weekend, right?"

"Right."

There's still a dull ache in her chest at the reminder of the party – the party everyone except her is invited to (even though she wouldn't go if she was, but still . . .) – but it's less than it was on Saturday. Thanks greatly to Raymond, Adrien, Tikki, and pastries. And Cat Noir's banter during the akuma attack on Saturday night, not that he knows that.

"So, I recon we should have our own party. Just the two of us."

Her eyes widen and a grin breaks out on her face, before she almost tackles him in a hug. "Oh my God, _yes_!" She squeezes him so tightly it almost hurts. He laughs and hugs her back, although not as tightly. "Are we going to dress–up too?" He pulls back from her and makes a face. She snorts, leaning back against her seat. "Good, because I don't have any dress–up clothes."

"Me either." He bumps his knee against hers. She grabs her notebook and turns to the last page. "Pen?" He asks, holding out his. She takes it and scribbles something down, before tearing the page out. She tears it down the middle, folds each in half, and then writes something on them.

"Here." She passes him one of the folded notes. Her name is on the front.

"What–"

"It's an invitation." She says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. He grins, figuring out what she means. She looks at him pointedly.

"Marinette, I would love it if you could come to my party at . . ." He checks the invitation. "Your house." She snorts. "It won't be a dress–up party, it will just be us there, and it won't have a DJ. What do you say?" He makes his eyes go wide, staring at her pleadingly. She snorts again, pushing his face to turn away from her.

"Dork." She clears her throat. "Adrien, I would love it if you could come to my party at my house." He rolls his eyes, but he can't keep the grin off his face. "It will be casual, every–day attire–" He snorts, and she gives him the stink–eye, but it's ruined by her smile. "We will be the only participants . . . along with my parents in the background supervising, and while we won't have a DJ, we will have pastries and treats galore. What do you say?" She stares at him pleadingly, and he almost falls out of his seat laughing, her not faring much better.

"On three?" He asks, once they've calmed down. She nods, still catching her breath.

"One . . . two . . . three!" They trade invitations, and dissolve into another fit of giggles.

"What are you two giggling at?"

Marinette sobers up quickly, staring at Chloé in mild surprise. "Just . . . an inside joke." Adrien says, grinning at Chloé. A smile tugs at her lips, but she scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"Are you going to _Lie_–la's party?"

Adrien snorts at the deliberate emphasis. "No. Are you?" He asks, genuinely curious. Marinette looks at her too, smiling sweetly at her.

Chloé falters slightly, before shaking her head. "I wouldn't be caught dead at a party as tacky as that! _Ridiculous_! Utterly _ridiculous_!" She flounces to her seat, keeping her head held high. Adrien looks at Marinette and raises his eyebrows, grinning. She giggles.

. . .

"I want to give Raymond a gift. To apologise for everything he was put through on Saturday." Marinette says, nudging his foot to get his attention away from his food. They're in a café for lunch this time.

"Who's Raymond?" Adrien asks, sipping his drink. Marinette frowns.

"You're driver and bodyguard. 'The Gorilla'. It's a fitting name for what he does. 'Raymond' means 'protect' and he–"

"How do you know his name?" He stares at her in shock.

"He told me." She frowns. "Didn't you know his name?"

"I didn't know he could speak!" Marinette stares at him for a moment, before dissolving into a fit of giggles. He pouts at her, which makes her laugh harder. "What kind of gift did you have in mind?"

"A box of macaroons, or something similar." She says, finally calming down. Adrien smiles at her, reaching over the table to steal a chip from her plate.

"Sounds good to me. We could invite him to the party!"

"That would mean we'd be out–numbered by adults though."

"True." Marinette steals a chip from his plate. He steals another from hers. "Why do chips taste better when they're stolen?" He tilts his head at her, waiting for her to answer.

"Because you didn't pay for them."

He snorts, grabbing her hand before she can steal another chip. "Here," He holds one out to her. She hesitates, and he taps her lips with the chip. She bites it, leaving about half still in his hand, which he puts in his own mouth. She picks up a chip from her plate and does the same to him.

They chew, wearing identical looks of contemplation.

"Yeah, they taste better stolen."

Marinette rolls her eyes at him, stealing another chip.


	7. Two to One

**Chapter Seven – Two to One**

"You seem happier than last time." Kagami notes, removing her helmet. Adrien does the same and smiles at her.

"I am happier."

"That's . . . good. How come?"

Adrien looks away from her, thinking about Marinette. The only good thing that's come from Lila is Marinette. "Did you hear about Lila's party?"

Kagami frowns at him, putting her helmet back on. "If that's why you're happy, then I am extremely disappointed in–"

"_No_! No, no!" He waves his hands frantically, and she lifts her helmet to look at him unobstructed. "Marinette wasn't invited, and I wouldn't touch the party with a ten–foot pole!" She raises an eyebrow at him. "Marinette and I have decided to have our own party on Saturday, at her house. It's just us so far, and her parents, and maybe The G–_Raymond_. I was wondering if you'd want to come? If you're not busy that is."

"Does Marinette want me to come?"

"I'm sure she does."

"She does!" They turn around to see Marinette walking over to them, holding a box of macaroons. She smiles at Kagami. "I'd love you to come to our party!"

"I've never been to a party." Kagami says bluntly.

"It's not _really_ a party." Adrien assures her. "It's more like a . . ."

"Hang out. We're not making party hats or playing party games, and there won't be any decorations, unless we decide to make them during the p– . . . hang out." Marinette smiles at her nervously, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Kagami smiles.

"Okay. I'll ask Mother." She holds her hand out to Adrien, who shakes it. "Good fight. You almost beat me." Marinette snorts and Kagami smiles at her, before going into the changing room.

"I love her." She says, and Adrien rolls his eyes.

"You love everyone."

"True."

Adrien grins at her. "What's with the macaroons?" He eyes them hungrily, and Marinette holds them out of his reach, guessing his next question.

"They're for Raymond. To say thank you." She winces. "And sorry."

He frowns. "Sorry?"

"For making him chase us." He snorts. "And thank you for following me when I ran."

Adrien sighs, looking at the ground between their feet. "I'm really, _really_ sorry. I didn't even notice–"

"Lila had you pretty preoccupied." She grabs his hand and gives it a squeeze. "I'm taking the high road."

He shakes his head, squeezing her hand back. "That was the worst advice _ever_!"

"It's working!"

"_She's still hurting you_!" He realises that the room is silent, and looks up. Everyone's staring at them. "Come on." He lays his fencing sword and helmet on the ground and leads her into the changing room. Out of habit, he goes to his locker. "What did she say to you?"

"Kagami?" She asks, hopefully. He frowns, gripping her arms. She winces at the pressure on her bruise.

"No. Lila. What did she say to you?"

"Nothing I didn't–"

"Don't give me that BS, Marinette! You came back only half there!" She looks away from him, stubbornly keeping her mouth shut. "Please? We can't stop her if you don't tell me everything." Her bottom lip quivers, and before he can react, she bursts into tears. "Mari, don't cry." He pulls her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. She clings to his fencing uniform like it's her life support. "If you cry, I'll cry. And you don't want to see me cry; it's not pretty!" She giggles and hides her face in his neck. He rubs soothing circles on her back, humming.

They stay like that until Marinette's tears have subsided, and when they do pull back from one another, it's so they can sit on the bench. She grips his hand tightly, stares at the floor beneath their feet, and tells him the gist of what Lila's done to her. It takes everything in him to not turn into Cat Noir and cataclysm her. The only thing that stops him is his morals, and Marinette's grip on his hand. She needs him more than Lila needs to be punished.

"Oh no!" She says, tears pricking in her eyes again.

"What?" He asks, fearing she's remembered something else that Lila did to her.

"I dropped Raymond's macaroons!" A stray tear runs down her cheek as she stares in despair at the box on the floor. He leans forward and kisses it away. The fact that she barely reacts – no more than an inhale of breath – tells him just how exhausted she is right now.

"He won't mind a few broken ones."

"But it's a gift! And it's on the stinky floor! Boy's put their feet there." She scrunches her nose, and he can't hold it in anymore. The look of utter betrayal she gives him when he doubles over, howling with laughter, is worth it.

"Y–Y–Your f–f–face!" He points at her, trying his hardest to get the sentence out. She gapes at him, but a grin slowly forms on her face, and then she's laughing just as hard as he is, leaning against him so she doesn't slide off the bench.

"Yes, Hawk Moth." A voice says, and they both freeze. There's a loud crash, and then the fencing students scream. "WHERE IS LILA ROSSI?"

"I'm going to hide in the bathroom!" Marinette says, jumping up. Before Adrien can stop her, she runs off. Plagg sighs, phasing through Adrien's locker door.

"Time to transform, right?" He asks.

Adrien nods, sighing. "Yeah. Plagg, claws out!"

. . .

One deakumatised Kagami later – Adrien _completely forgot _that she had gone into the changing room just before them – and Cat Noir rushes to the school, dives through the window in the boy's bathroom, and detransforms. Before Plagg can begin to complain that he's hungry, he shoves cheese in his mouth, exiting the bathroom.

"It's safe to say that fencing is over for the day." Adrien says, removing his fencing uniform.

It took him a while to get back to the school after the akuma attack; Ladybug used for lucky charm earlier then he used cataclysm, so he waited with Kagami until her mother arrived, talking her down from the anger she still felt for Lila.

"What are you going to do about Lila?" Plagg asks once he's settled in Adrien's shirt.

"I don't know." He grabs his bag and slams his locker shut, before leaning his forehead against it. "Is it bad that I hesitated saving Lila?"

"If I was you I would've cataclysmed her." Adrien snorts. "Where's the princess?"

"She was hiding in the . . ." His eyes widen. "_Bathroom_."

He runs around the lockers and sprints to the girl's bathroom door, stopping just outside. He almost puts a hole through the door with the intensity of his knocking.

"Marinette? Are you oaky? _Marinette_?"

"I'm fine." He spins around, relief flooding through his body the second his eyes meet hers. The locker room door swings shut behind her. "Are you? You seem a little . . . frazzled?" She tilts her head at him.

"I, you, I–" She frowns, then squeaks in surprise when he lunges at her, wrapping her in the tightest hug she's ever had. "I was worried about you."

"You didn't have to be. Ladybug and Cat Noir would have saved me if I was in danger; that's what they're there for." She pulls back from him so he can look her in the eye. "Do you think Kagami's okay? That's her third time being akumatised."

Adrien cringes. "I don't know, I, uh, haven't seen her. She probably went home." He hugs her again, relishing in the feeling of her warmth and her arms around him. "Why weren't you in the bathroom?"

"I went home–"

"_What_?" He pulls back from her, holding her by her shoulders.

"Well, Kagami, _Justification_, went away, and I, uh, wanted to get more macaroons for Raymond." She smiles sheepishly

Adrien looks down at her hands, then the floor. "Where are they?"

"I already gave them to him. He's waiting outside for you."

"Oh."

She snorts, taking one of his hands off her shoulder to hold it. "Come on."

Adrien ignores the looks he gets form his fellow fences, only sparing a glance to Armand D'Argencourt to tell him he'll see him next lesson. Raymond is leaning against the car when they arrive, clearly enjoying his macaroons.

"Do you want a lift home?" Adrien asks, coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.

"No thanks, I _do_ only live across the road." She smiles.

"I still wanted to offer."

"I know," She kisses his cheek, grinning at his shocked expression. "Two to one." She winks. "See you tomorrow! Bye Raymond!"

"Uh–huh! Theatre, ma . . . B–Bye!"


	8. Holders and Sitters

**Chapter Eight – Holders and Sitters**

"May I please go to the bathroom?" Marinette asks, raising her hand. Ms Bustier passes her the out–of–class pass, and continues writing on the board. Adrien watches her leave, before going back to his work.

"Can I go to the bathroom as well, Ms?" Lila asks, raising her hand. Before Ms Bustier can say anything, Chloé gets up.

"I need to go! I am about to burst, and if my daddy hears that you did not allow me to go to the bathroom, there will be trouble!" She raises an eyebrow at the teacher, who just sighs and gestures towards the door. "Thank you." Chloé winks at Adrien as she goes past. He smiles.

"I really need to go as well, and I did ask before her." Lila says.

"Very well. Hurry back, please."

"I will." She saunters towards the door, tapping Adrien's book as she goes past. He ignores her.

"I'm onto you." Chloé warns, stepping right into Lila's personal space as soon as they're away from prying eyes.

Lila blinks at her, feigning confusion. "I'm sorry? Onto me?"

"Cut the BS!" She hisses, poking her breastbone.

Lila smirks, pushing her hand away. "There is no BS, Chloé. I think you have your facts wrong." She moves to walk around her, but Chloé steps in front of her again.

"You're the one who's facts are wrong! Do you even know what causes tinnitus? Or what the symptoms of JIA are?" She crosses her arms over her chest, glaring at the brunette.

"JIA? I'm sorry, I don't–"

"You should know what it is seeing as you're claiming to have it!"

Lila grits her teeth, clenching her fists. "I don't 'claim' to have anything. I have it!"

"Is that why you know what JIA means?" Chloé smirks. "It stands for juvenile idiopathic arthritis." If looks could kill, Chloé's pretty sure Lila would be charged with her murder.

"I don't have _juvenile_ arthritis!" She says, crossing her arms haughtily. "My condition is _very_ severe, and _very_ serious, and–"

"It's _juvenile_ because it affects _children_, you ninny! If you had actually been diagnosed with it then you would be aware of that!"

"I was diagnosed by the best doctor in Paris!"

"Who? If he's the best doctor in Paris, my daddy will now him. He knows everyone." Chloé smirks at Lila's barely controlled rage.

"I don't remember his name. My . . . my tinnitus was acting up that day, so I couldn't hear–"

"Of cause, your tinnitus. Your tinnitus that only flares up when you want to move Marinette to the back of the room." Chloé raises an eyebrow at her.

"Why do you care where she sits?" Lila asks, deciding to change tactics. "You don't even like Marinette."

"I like Adrien. Adrien likes Marinette."

"He likes me more."

"Yes. That is why he is going on a date with Marinette next Saturday instead of going to your party." Chloé says, deadpanned.

Anger flashes in Lila's eyes. "You're lying! Adrien is coming to my party! We're doing a couples costume!"

"I only lie when there's facts supporting it. Not like you. You lie to bring yourself up by brining others down! And Adrien _isn't_ dating you, he's dating Marinette. He doesn't even like you!"

Lila opens her mouth to say something but stops, looking at something behind Chloé. She looks over her shoulder and spots Marinette, hesitating at the top of the stairs. "Hurry up, already. Ms Bustier is waiting." She walks past them, eyeing them both warily. Once she's safely inside the classroom, Chloé smirks, stepping aside to let Lila pass.

"You'd better go to the bathroom; you _did_ ask before me."

. . .

A hand lands on Marinette's shoulder and she flinches, almost dropping her water bottle.

"Can we pair up?" Chloé asks. Her voice is confident, but she shifts her weight from foot to foot nervously.

Marinette feels eyes on them, but she ignores whoever's staring and smiles. "Sure. Do you want to be the sitter or the holder first?"

"Holder."

Marinette puts her drink bottle back in her locker, and they go out into the courtyard. The teacher has set up mats for them, and they choose one a little further away from everyone else's. Marinette settles on the mat and crosses her arms so her hands rest on her collarbones. Chloé kneels in front of her, holding her feet to keep them in place. Marinette starts doing her sit–ups.

"How come you're not paired with Sabrina?" She asks after a full minute of awkward silence.

Chloé's expression darkens, and she looks up at her former best friend. "The same reason you're not paired with Alya."

"Oh." Marinette sits up one last time, and leans back on her hands, catching her breath. Being Ladybug has made her more fit, but, outside of the suit, she's still human. She still needs to breathe. "She believes Lila, then?"

Chloé nods. "I don't see how. Her lies aren't even believable! _Ridiculous_! Utterly _ridiculous_!"

Marinette snorts, earning a surprised look from the blonde. "What were you two talking about outside the classroom? I–If you don't mind me asking, that is." She adds, fearing she may be pushing her luck

Chloé just shrugs, removing her hands from Marinette's feet to flick her hair over her shoulder. "I don't. We were talking about you."

"_Me_?" She gapes at her.

"Yes. Don't interrupt!" Marinette shuts her mouth. "We were talking about you, and Adrien," Chloé's cheeks flush slightly, and Marinette frowns, confused. "And about her so–called arthritis." She rolls her eyes. "She didn't even bother Googling what kind children get."

Marinette grins. "I'm pretty sure our whole class has forgotten what Google is."

Chloé snorts, and it's so surprising that Marinette's hands slide out from under her. She squeals in surprise. Chloé stares at her for a moment, before she starts giggling. Marinette props herself up on her elbows to look at her, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at her, but she starts giggling too.

"You really are clumsy, Marinette."

"I know." She sits up properly, crossing her legs. "I don't think you've ever just called me by my first name before." She muses, not noticing how Chloé's expression darkens at the reminder.

"We've never been friends before." She says casually, waving her hand dismissively.

Marinette smirks, and Chloé freezes, gaping at her. "We're friends now, are we?" She asks, tilting her head. Chloé stutters, cheeks flushing, and Marinette's smirk widens.

"You . . . You've been spending too much time around Adrien!" She exclaims, crossing her arms in annoyance.

Marinette snorts. "Yeah."

She uncrosses her legs and crosses her arms, laying down again. She waits for Chloé to hold her feet before starting her second set of sit–ups. It's technically Chloé's turn, but she doesn't want to push her luck. They dissolve into silence again, but it's less awkward now. Marinette chews on her lip, before deciding to face the bull head–on.

"What are you doing on Saturday?"

"Probably shopping."

"You're defiantly not going to Lila's party?"

Chloé scoffs. "God, _no_!"

"Would you want to come to our party?" She sits up properly again. Chloé stares at her blankly. "It won't really be a party, more like a hang out. It'll just be us, and Kagami, and my parents, and maybe–"

"Kagami doesn't like me." She says bluntly.

Marinette smiles. "Maybe not right now. I think you'd get along though; you're quite similar."

Chloé shrugs. "I doubt your parents would want me there, after everything I've done to you."

"My parents aren't ones to judge someone based on someone else's judgment of them." She smiles, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Chloé stiffens slightly under her touch. "Honestly the only person they wouldn't want me to bring home is Lila." She frowns. "And Mr Agreste."

"Mr Agreste is pretty intimidating." Chloé agrees.

"And scary."

"And manipulative."

"And controlling." Marinette shakes her head. "Do you know him well?"

"I knew his wife better." She says quietly. "He's always been consumed by his work, even when we were kids." She shrugs. "I don't even know the last time he left the house."

"When he was akumatised, maybe." Marinette says.

Chloé smiles. "I'm surprised he hasn't been akumatised more frequently."

Marinette snorts. "It's probably a good thing he hasn't been." They giggle, but a sharp look from the teacher pops their little bubble. Marinette prepares to do more sit–ups, but Chloé stands up.

"Hold my feet; I'll be the sitter."

Marinette smirks at her again. "Only if you agree to come to our party."

Chloé raises an eyebrow at her. "That doesn't really benefit you if I say 'no'."

"Just say 'yes'!"

"Okay, fine!" She rolls her eyes, but smiles. "Yes."


	9. Tired

**Chapter Nine – Tired**

Marinette collapses into her seat, groaning. She's there before Adrien for once, and she takes the opportunity to lay down across the seat. She almost _wants_ Hawk Moth to akumatise her, only so she can torture him just as much as he tortures her.

"Did the akuma attack keep you up too?"

She opens her eyes, lifting her head slightly to look at Adrien over the desk. He looks as tired as she feels, but he's still smiling.

"Unfortunately." She pushes herself up properly, and he drops into his seat. She leans against him, using his shoulder as a pillow. "Do you think Hawk Moth knows what sleep is?" Adrien's head rests against hers, and she feels his body relax.

"Apparently not," He grabs her hand, interlacing their fingers. "That was, what? The third akuma attack at night this week?"

She nods, yawning. "I need coffee."

"You don't like coffee. Have tea."

"Tea puts me to sleep."

"Just put a butt–load of sugar in, that'll keep you awake. You might get diabetes, though."

She pulls back slightly to glare at him. "I don't want to stay awake _that_ much." He grins, and she drops her head back onto his shoulder, shifting closer until their sides are pressed together. "Do you think Ms Bustier would notice if we went to sleep?"

"Probably. We wouldn't know though because we'd be asleep." She rolls her eyes, and pokes his side. "Hey!"

"I think it would be worth it."

Adrien rolls his eyes. "Did you think any more about the party? Kagami said she hasn't been able to convince her mother to let her stay for dinner, and she'll have to come after her lesson with her mum."

Marinette sighs, rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them. "I'm not sure. I don't really know what Kagami likes, I don't really know what Chloé likes, and we can hardly force them to play Ultimate Mecha Strick III all afternoon."

"You'd beat everyone, anyway." Adrien says, and she uses their entwined hands to hit his chest lightly. He snorts.

"You would too."

"Yeah," He grins at her. "Especially since I have my Marinette Lucky Charm."

Before she can respond the classroom door opens and Nino, Alya and Lila walk in. Nino glances at them and does a double–take, eyes widening. He almost smiles, before he looks away from them and goes to his seat. Adrien turns his head to look at him.

"I heard you're DJing at Lila's party."

Nino nods stiffly, taking his things out of his bag. He glances between him and Marinette, and their entwined hands. The almost smile returns.

"I heard you're not going."

Adrien nods. "Yeah. We're having a party of our own."

"Just you and Marinette?" He raises his eyebrows. "No offence, dude, but that's not really a party."

"Kagami and Chloé will be there too." Marinette says without turning around. Nino's eyes widen, before he looks at Adrien in shock.

"Your hanging out with Chloé again?"

"Yeah."

"_Chloé_?" He shakes his head, and Adrien frowns.

"She's not that bad. She's actually starting to be a lot nicer." Adrien shrugs at Nino's doubtful expression. "I think she's realised the world doesn't revolve around her."

"Unlike _some_ people." Marinette mutters, watching Lila and Alya talk about something to do with the Ladyblog. Lila says something, and Alya nods her head enthusiastically.

Nino frowns at her. "You're not still on that, are you?"

Marinette stiffens slightly, and looks over her shoulder at him. "I'm tired, Nino." She shakes her head. "Can we just . . . agree to disagree? It's not like either you or Alya are even talking to me anymore, so it won't be difficult."

Nino blinks at her, before looking away, hunching into himself so he appears smaller. She shoots Adrien a small, tired, smile before laying her head on her arms on her desk, closing her eyes.

"Lila isn't lying. If she was, we'd know." Alya says, joining the conversation as she sits down. "We're her friends."

"I thought we were friends." Adrien says to Nino.

He looks up sharply. "We _are_ friends!"

"Funny way of showing it." Adrien frowns, and Nino looks away from him again. "I'm pretty sure friends have trust and faith in each other."

Alya frowns at him. "We have trust and faith in you."

"What about in Marinette? You certainly haven't shown any faith in her since Lila arrived."

Alya glares at him. "She's just jealous." She rolls her eyes. "She'll get over it. She just has to stop seeing Lila as the enemy."

"She sees her as 'the enemy' because she is."

Alya's glare turns deadly. "You don't know what you're talking about, Agreste."

"And you do?" He raises his eyebrows at her. "I thought you were a reporter. Reporters are supposed to _check_ their facts, not just take someone's word as fact over someone else's."

"Lila isn't lying!" She hisses, clenching her fists.

"Where's your proof?"

"Where's _yours_?" She glares at him. "You didn't even hear about what Chloé did to her yesterday at lunch!" Adrien frowns. Marinette sits up and turns around, staring at her former best friend with a look that could only be described as sheer tiredness.

"Chloé wasn't here for lunch yesterday." She says bluntly.

Alya frowns. "How would you know; you weren't here either?"

"Chloé was with us." Adrien says. Alya's jaw drops and she shifting her stare between them. "We went to Marinette's house to plan for our party."

"What party?"

Marinette and Adrien share a look, and Marinette shrugs. "_Our_ party." Nino bites his lip nervously, glancing between Marinette and Adrien, and Alya.

"When is it?"

"Saturday." Marinette says tiredly, already guessing what's coming next. She isn't disappointed.

"That's when Lila's having her party. Why are you going to two parties in one day?" Alya raises an eyebrow at Adrien.

Adrien frowns, rubbing his forehead. At this point, he'll have a headache by lunch. "I'm not going to Lila's p–"

"_What_?" Adrien and Marinette both jump at the sudden volume of her voice. "You're going! Lila said you're doing a couples costume; she's going as Ladybug, and you're Cat–"

"We're not a couple. And I'm _not_ going." Adrien says bluntly, frowning at her.

"But–"

"There is no 'but', Alya. Lila's lying." He shakes his head. "Just like she has been since she arrived."

Alya's glare is back. "She has not–"

"What did she say Chloé did to her?" Marinette asks, and Alya falters.

"She tripped her when she was going into the bathroom." Alya smirks. "Just like she's done to _you_ countless times."

Marinette flinches. "Harsh, Alya." She frowns. "Chloé doesn't use the school bathrooms; she says they're too unhygienic."

"But she could have!"

"But she _wasn't_ _here_." Adrien reiterates, irritation slipping into his voice.

"It could've been at the end of lunch."

"We walked to class together, and Lila was already here then. You were talking to her." Marinette reminds her, rolling her eyes.

"It must've been another day, then." She says, crossing her arms.

"Or Lila could've just lied."

Marinette turns away from her, ending the conversation. Adrien follows her lead. Something hits his side, and he looks down to see a scrunched–up piece of paper. He unfolds it and recognises Chloé's writing. He glances at her and she smiles.

_Tell her to Google children's arthritis_.

He frowns at the note, confused, and leans over to show it to Marinette. She takes one look at it, snorts, and leans forward to grin at the blonde.

"What? What am I missing?"

Marinette smiles at him, giggling at his expression. She presses a quick kiss to his cheek, and Alya inhales sharply. "Tell you later."

He smiles, kissing her nose in return. "Two to three." Marinette rolls her eyes, pushing his face away from her, ignoring the feeling of Alya's eyes on them.

. . .

"God, she really is dense!" Chloé says as soon as they're out of the classroom.

"Who?" Adrien asks, looking at Chloé. Both she and Marinette give him an incredulous look.

"_Alya_. Who else?" Chloé rolls her eyes, and Adrien feels his cheeks flush.

"Oh. Right." He grins sheepishly.

"How can she not see through Lila's lies? Seriously? _Me_ trip _her_? In the _bathroom_? Ridiculous, _utterly_ ridiculous!" Marinette snorts. "And if I wanted to embarrass her, I'd do it with people around."

"You would." Marinette agrees, before looping her arms through Chloé and Adrien's. "Are we going home or to a café for lunch? Or the park?" She grins at Adrien. "We haven't shown Chloé our game yet." Chloé frowns at her.

"What game?" Adrien and Marinette look at each other and smirk. Chloé sighs. "I'm about to find out, aren't I?"

"Yes."


	10. Bananas

**Chapter Ten – Bananas**

"You've stopped flirting with me." Ladybug notes. Cat Noir looks at her and grins sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Uh, yeah." He smirks. "Why? Miss it?"

"No." She smiles. "It's nicer this way. It feels like we're starting to become real friends."

He blinks at her, cat ears drooping. "We weren't friends?" She shrugs. They finished the last akuma battle without using their powers until the very end, so they have a few minutes to talk.

"Did you think we were?"

He bites his lip. "It's kind of a different situation, don't you think? I mean . . ." He hesitates. "We can't really talk about anything in our lives, except, like, vaguely."

She sighs, and glances back at him. "That's mostly my fault."

He frowns. "Why?"

"I didn't want you to know who I am. I don't want you to know."

He stares at her for a moment, before looking away. "Oh."

"It's too dangerous, Cat. If we know each other's identities Hawk Moth can use them against us, and if he akumatises us . . ." She shakes her head. "I love you Cat. Maybe not in the same way you do, but I do. I don't want anything to happen to you, and I'm sure you don't want anything to happen to me."

He looks at her, shaking his head vigorously. "No! Of course not."

She smiles, but her eyes are sad. Her miraculous lets out the first _beep_. "Then you understand why we can't know?"

He hesitates for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah."

"Thank you." She throws her yoyo, preparing to head home. "It won't be like this forever, Kitty." She smiles briefly, before her gaze lifts to the night sky. "Once it's safe, and he's defeated; we'll talk. Okay?"

"Okay."

. . .

"One more day." Adrien says to Marinette as soon as he sees her. She grins, falling into step beside him.

"One more day. Then on Monday we get to enjoy all of the stories from Lila's party."

"We'll get through it." He glances around the courtyard, as if checking for spies, then leans down to whisper in her ear. "Besides, we'll have our own stories."

"And they'll be _much_ better." Marinette smirks at him.

He grins, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Obviously." She snorts.

"Hey lovebirds." Chloé bumps Marinette's shoulder, grinning. "Are we going to play the ninja game at lunch again? I think I've finally got the hang of the art of looking like a tree." She mimes a tree yoga pose.

Marinette snorts. "You just need to wear something brown, and dye your hair green."

Chloé makes a face at her. "Ew! No way. Green hair?" She shudders. "I thought you were a designer, Marinette? How could you recommend something like that to me?" She stares at her in over–exaggerated shock, before giggling. Marinette rolls her eyes.

"I think it would pair very well with the yellow of your cardigan." Adrien says, as seriously as he can manage. Chloé glares at him. Marinette snorts again.

"In that case, you should dye your hair purple. It'll go with your shirt." Chloé grins at him.

He rolls his eyes, before running his fingers through his hair. "I think you're right. And Father would be _so_ happy!" He laughs at his own joke. Marinette and Chloé share a look before giggling.

The bell goes for class and they quicken their pace. Thankfully they have Ms Bustier, and she barely spares them a glance as they enter the classroom, simply just going back and marking them as 'here' on the roll.

"Today we're going to do something different." Ms Bustier says once everyone, except for Alix and Ivan, who are away, has settled down. "We're going to do a problem–solving game. I'm going to put you in teams of three or four, and give you a problem to solve." She picks up a stack of papers from her desk, and the class starts murmuring.

"Do you think we'll be together?" Adrien whispers.

"I hope so, but probably not."

"Lila, Mylène and Kim, you are one team. Juleka, Chloé and Sabrina, you are another team. Adrien, Rose, Max and Nino, you are a team. Alya, Marinette and Nathaniel, you are a team."

Adrien pats her shoulder, before getting up to sit beside Rose. Nathaniel sits next to Marinette, glancing at her nervously. Ms Bustier passes out a piece of paper to each group, before retreating to her desk.

"You are to work in your teams, together, to solve the problem. When everyone has finished, you will present your solution to the rest of the class, who will provide feedback on where you could have done things differently." She smiles at them. "You have ten minutes."

The rest of the class jump into action, but Nathaniel doesn't want to be the first to say something, Marinette doesn't want to risk upsetting Alya by taking the lead, and Alya wants Marinette to admit that she's wrong about Lila. Ms Bustier looks at them and frowns, so Marinette picks the piece of paper up and turns to her fellow teammates. The sooner they solve the problem, the sooner they can go back to ignoring each other, and the sooner Nathaniel will feel comfortable again.

"'You have crash–landed on an island. The only other occupants are your teammates. There are four items available to either survive until someone comes to rescue you, or to get off the island to search for help.'" She puts the paper down. "So, first we have to decide if we're staying on the island or going for help."

"That's easy. We go for help." Alya says.

"But going for help isn't easy." Marinette argues.

Alya frowns at her. "It's better than simply waiting around for help to arrive."

"I agree, but you have to take _everything_ into account. We don't even know what we have to work with." Alya rolls her eyes.

"How do we know what to work with?" Nathanial asks, quietly. Alya snatches the worksheet, reading it over.

"It doesn't say, so I guess we just make it up." She turns to Nathanial, ignoring Marinette. "What do you think we'll need?"

"Oh, um, I . . ." His cheeks flush and he ducks his head, hiding behind his hair. "I don't know." He mumbles.

"Rope? A boat? A helicopter?" She widens her eyes at him.

"How about a time machine?" Marinette mutters, and Nathaniel smiles at her shyly. Alya glares at her.

"_You_ could come up with an idea, Marinette, seeing as you're _so good_ at problem solving." She smirks.

Marinette frowns. "We're supposed to be doing it _together_, Alya." She sighs. "If we stay on the island, we may have a better chance of surviving a little longer, but probably not forever, and it's possible we'll never be rescued. If we leave the island, we may find help, but we may also drown, or get lost, or . . . get attacked by a sea serpent." Alya rolls her eyes. "We need to decide which option we should do before deciding what items we need."

"What we need is a boat or helicopter, food and water." Alya says, flipping the page over to write on it. "If you just want to stay on the island, Nathaniel and I can just go for help and come back later."

"We're supposed to stick together, and I don't think we're supposed to choose a boat or helicopter." Nathanial says quietly, glancing between the girls.

Marinette shakes her head, agreeing with him. "We are, and if we chose a boat or a helicopter Ms Bustier will say we need petrol, which, of cause, we wouldn't have if we crash–landed."

Alya sighs, clearly fed–up. "Fine. What do you think we should do?" She shoves the paper at her, before leaning back in her seat, seemingly giving up.

"I think we should work as a team." Marinette says, quietly. The hurt she's managed to keep at bay for the last few weeks resurfaces, and she feels tears prick in her eyes. She blinks them away. "If we want to get off the island, then we need to have some kind of floatation device, or make something we could use as a floatation device."

"Balsa wood, and rope to tie the–to hold it together." Nathanial says, voice growing more confident.

"Why balsa wood?" Marinette asks, writing it down. Alya looks at him as well, curious.

He hesitates, before taking a deep breath. "It floats well, even under weight."

"Cool." Alya says. Marinette nods in agreement. "We'd also need drinking water. And food." She frowns, leaning forward to watch Marinette write.

"What kind of food?"

"Bananas." They tilt their heads at Marinette, and she shrugs. "Bananas have a lot of protein and nutrients, and you can eat the whole fruit, even the skin." Alya makes a face, and Marinette smiles. "I think you can survive for about a month on just bananas with water."

"So, balsa wood, rope, water and bananas?" Alya says, and Marinette and Nathaniel nod. "And, we're going for help."

Marinette bites her lip. ". . . Yep." Nathaniel nods in agreement.

"Does that mean we're done?" She asks, taking the paper from Marinette. Her eyes skim over it.

"I think so." Nathanial says. Marinette nods.

"Cool. I'll present it." She smirks at Marinette again. "Unless you want to?"

Marinette bites her lip, wondering what her motive here is, before shaking her head. "No, you can. I'd rather wait."


	11. Early

**Chapter Eleven – Early**

The door to the bakery opens and Marinette glances up from her book, before doing a double–take and grinning.

"Adrien! Hi!" She gets off her stool, dropping her book onto the counter, and meets him halfway. She hugs him tightly.

"Hey! I hope you don't mind I'm early, my photoshoot ended early." They pull back from each other, Marinette already shaking her head.

"Not at all! Seriously, you could've arrived before the sun got up and I'd be happy you're here."

He grins. "That's a relief. I was worried you would be busy." She goes behind the counter again and he follows her.

"I'm never too busy for a friend." She picks up her book and flicks through it until she finds the page she was on. "Mum just stepped out to get some essentials. We can go upstairs once she's back." She inserts her bookmark in place and closes the book, setting it beside the till.

"Cool. Will we have lunch before Chloé arrives?" He tilts his head at her.

"I wasn't going to, since we're going to be eating a bunch of treats, but if you want something you can."

"Oh, no." He shakes his head hastily. "I was just checking." She smiles.

"Adrien, my boy!" Tom exclaims, and Adrien turns to smile at him.

"Hi sir!" He says, bounding over to him like an over–eager puppy. Tom frowns at him good naturedly, pulling him into a hug.

"I've told you a hundred times, son, call me Tom."

Adrien smiles sheepishly. "Sorry, s–_Tom_."

He laughs, patting the boy's shoulder. "No worries." He grins at the kids, before turning back to the dough he's rolling out. "How was the photoshoot?"

Adrien's smile falters slightly. "Okay. I'm glad it's over."

Tom smiles. "I bet you are. I have no idea how you can manage to stand still for so long." He shudders exaggeratedly, and Adrien grins.

"I'm used to it. I'm not going to be doing it forever though."

"What are you going to do when you grow up?" The door to the bakery opens before Adrien can answer, and they look towards it.

Sabine smiles at them, giving Marinette a kiss and passing her a carrier bag. She comes over to them, still smiling. "How are you, sweetie?" She asks, wrapping him in a hug.

He returns it, relaxing against her slightly before pulling back. "I'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm doing very well. You and Marinette are welcome to go upstairs now, just let me know when Chloé arrives. Is Kagami still coming a little later?"

"Yeah, she said at about three o'clock. And her mother's picking her up before dinner."

Sabine nods, before turning to her husband. "I ran into Nadja Chamack at the grocery store, she mentioned coming by later to pick up a pie for dinner, but she thinks she may be a little late."

"We'll keep the shop open for an extra half an hour; I'm sure the kids won't mind a slightly delayed dinner."

"We won't." Marinette says, joining the conversation. "We could even cook." Her eyes widen and she looks at Adrien. "That's what we can do! Mum and Dad were going to make pizzas, but we can do that once Kagami's here."

"And then while they're cooking, we can . . . do something else." Adrien says, excitement bubbling inside him. They still haven't figured out what they're actually doing at their party.

"Is that okay?" Marinette asks, turning to her parents. They share a smile, before nodding at the kids.

"Of cause, just let me know when you want to start." Sabine says.

"We will." Marinette grabs Adrien's hand and leads him towards the stairs. "We'll be upstairs."

"Thank you." Adrien says, giving them a small wave. "What about Kagami? She won't be eating with us."

Marinette frowns, twisting the carrier bag handle around so it spins. "We could give her hers in a take–away container, or make sure she can eat hers before her mother comes." She opens the door to the apartment and he follows her into the kitchen. "I'll just put this away, then we can go play Ultimate Mecha Strick III or something."

Adrien smirks at her. "Only if you're prepared to lose."

Marinette raises an eyebrow, meeting his smirk with one of her own. "Only if you are."

. . .

Seven games later, and not a single win on Adrien's part, he admits defeat. He mimes bowing to her victory, making her giggle.

"You're definitely better than last time we played." Marinette says, turning her computer off.

"Still can't beat you." He grins at her, before turning back to her photocollage. Most of the photos are gone and now there's only a couple of photos of the two of them, her parents, the one of her and Kagami, and the class photo.

"You will."

"Why did you take down your photos?" She drops one of the controllers and he flinches at the noise.

"Oh, uh, I . . ." She sighs, picking the controller up and putting it back on her desk. "They hurt to look at. I still have them, they're in my diary box." She nods at the semi–circle box sitting on her desk.

"You'll put them back up when you become friends again, right?" He looks at her hopefully, but she just shrugs.

"What if we don't become friends again?" She glances away from him, fiddling with her fingers.

"You will."

"You don't know that." She wraps her arms around herself, as if trying to give herself comfort. "Lila said that she'd make sure I lose all of my friends, and so far it's working."

Adrien shakes his head, wrapping her in a hug. She wraps her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his neck. "You have me; you'll always have me. And Chloé and Kagami aren't about to abandon you anytime soon." She sniffs and pulls away from him, wiping her eyes. "We're going to beat her."

"I hope so." She grins at him, before stepping out of his embrace. "We still have a little while before Chloé arrives, what do you want to do?"

He frowns at her, concern evident in every crevice of her face. "Anything that makes you stop hurting."

She rolls her eyes. "I don't think Mum and Dad would appreciate us playing ninjas around the house."

He snorts. "What designs are you working on right now?"

She hesitates, before picking her sketchbook up and flicking through it. "You know how raincoats have that fabric that kind of feels like a tarp?" He nods. "Well I found this waterproof cotton fabric – it feels the same as cotton, but water runs off it instead of soaking – and I need a new raincoat, so . . ." She crosses to her closet. "I made this." She holds up a half–finished blue raincoat.

"Woah." He says, moving closer to inspect it. Even half–finished, it's amazing. "That's awesome."

She flushes and ducks her head. "Thank you, but it's not even done yet."

"Doesn't matter." He runs his hand along the fabric. "Are you sure this is water proof?"

She nods. "Yeah, I draped it over myself and poured a glass of water over it." She grins. "My socks got wet from the runoff, but the rest of me stayed dry."

He shakes his head fondly. "Are you going to finish it?"

She bites her lip and looks at the coat, before putting it back in her closet. "I'm not sure; I . . . haven't really been in the mood to do any sewing or designing lately. I started the coat a couple of weeks ago." She shrugs and moves past him.

"I think you should finish it." He says, following her.

She looks over her shoulder at him. "Why?"

"Because it's incredible." He looks over her shoulder, watching her flip through her sketchbook. "All of your designs are incredible."

She rolls her eyes. "You're just buttering me up so you can have cookies."

"No!" She raises an eyebrow at him. "Okay, well, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to having some." She snorts. "But your designs really are amazing." She studies his face for a moment, as if looking for signs he's lying, before smiling. His gaze flicks down to her lips immediately.

"Thank you."

He looks back at her eyes and smiles. "No worries."

He leans a little closer to her and her gaze flicks down. She rubs her lips together nervously and glances away from him briefly before settling back on his eyes. Her shoulder presses against his chest when he moves a little closer, and he wraps an arm around her waist loosely. Her breathing quickens slightly, and her cheeks flush, but she smiles, tilting her head up slightly. He doesn't realise how close they are until her breath fans over his lips and his eyes start to close.

"Chloé's here!" They jump apart from each other, rivalling tomatoes, and avoid each other's gazes.

"O–Okay Mum!" Marinette calls, tugging on her pigtail nervously.

Adrien clears his throat. "We should, uh . . ." He gestures towards the trap door.

She nods, side–stepping towards it. "Y–Yep! We should, Chloé, here." She cringes, finally ducking down to open the trap door. "I'll be back."

"O–Okay." As soon as she's gone he sighs in relief, leaning back against her desk. "Oh God."


	12. Monopoly and Pizza

**Chapter Twelve – Monopoly and Pizza**

"You're room's actually pretty cool." Chloé says, turning around to take it all in. "My room's bigger, obviously, but yours is nice."

Marinette rolls her eyes fondly. "Thanks." She sits on the floor and opens the Monopoly box. "Who wants to be the banker?"

"I will!" Chloé almost dives to the floor, taking the money out of the box before Marinette can hand it to her. She shuffles through it, sorting it into piles.

"Is there a cat?" Adrien asks, looking through the player tokens.

"There's a dog." Marinette says, and he makes a face at her. She rolls her eyes, but smiles. "Can I be the thimble?"

"Why do you want to be the _thimble_?" Chloé asks, staring at her like she's got two heads. "You can't act out what a thimble does."

"Act out?" Adrien asks, passing Marinette the thimble. He does his best to ignore the feeling of her palm brushing against his fingers.

"Yeah, you have to act out the tokens." Marinette says to him, putting the thimble on her finger. "And for your information, Chloé, the thimble _sews_ its way down the board." She smirks at the blonde, and Chloé rolls her eyes, smiling.

"Pass me the car." She says, holding her hand out to Adrien. He raises an eyebrow at her, and she sighs. "Please." He drops it into her hand. "Observe: acting out the token." She rolls one of the dice, getting a four, and presumes to 'drive' the car down the board. "See? Act it out."

"It's the best part of the game." Marinette says matter–of–factly.

Chloé smirks. "Unless you're the thimble." Marinette glares at her good–naturedly.

"So, if I choose the boat . . ."

"You have to sail it." Chloé grins at him, leaning back on her hands.

"Cool." He puts the ship on the Start.

"And it's a ship." Marinette says, putting the thimble next to his. He sticks his tongue out at her.

"Okay, lovebirds." Chloé puts the car on the Start, before dealing out the money.

Marinette passes Adrien the instructions. "It's pretty straight forward; if you land on an unowned property, and you can afford it, by it."

"Try to buy properties of the same colour. You can only put houses and hotels on them if you own all of the properties for that colour." Chloé adds.

"You need to buy four houses – those are the green buildings – before you can buy a hotel – the red buildings."

"The idea is to bankrupt everyone else." Chloé looks at him expectantly. "Do you get it?"

"Um . . ." He scratches the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "Kind of."

"We'll help you." Marinette says, patting his knee.

"It's your house, so you can go first." Chloé says, dropping the dice in front of Marinette.

"I thought we were just going to go off of whoever rolls the highest number."

Chloé sighs, taking the dice back. "Fine." She rolls a seven. Marinette rolls a five, and Adrien rolls an eight. "You go first." She drops the dice in his hand.

"What do I do?"

Marinette cups his fingers around the dice, moves his hands up and down to shake them, and then opens his fingers enough for the dice to fall through.

"You got a six, so you have to sail six spaces." He does so. "You can buy that if you want."

"What's an Islington?"

Marinette snorts. "It's just the name of the property. Do you want to buy it?"

"Um . . ."

"You should, the more properties you own the easier it is to win." The girls stare at him expectantly, and he chews on his lip, before handing Chloé the money in return for the property card. "Can I have the dice? Please?"

. . .

"That's _so_ unfair! I thought we were friends!" Adrien exclaims, staring at Marinette in horror. She shrugs, trying not to laugh.

"There are no friends in Monopoly." Chloé says, smirking at him. He stutters, gesturing at the board, and Marinette giggles.

"You can always admit bankruptcy." She says innocently, smiling at him.

He fumbles over his words, gaping at her, before tearing his eyes away, pouting. "You could just be nice." He grumbles, and Chloé snorts.

"Monopoly isn't about being nice, either." Her expression turns stoic, but her eyes still sparkle with mirth. "Monopoly is about vanquishing others of their will to live."

Marinette dissolves into giggles, and Chloé snorts at her own joke. Adrien rolls his eyes, still feeling miffed at landing on Marinette's hotel, but eventually he starts laughing too.

"What's the joke?" Kagami asks, emerging through the trapdoor. Marinette grins at her, getting up to give her a hug. Kagami looks a little taken aback, but returns the hug, smiling.

"Monopoly is savage!" Adrien pouts, and Kagami snorts, pulling back from Marinette.

"You didn't know that?" She asks, sitting down. Marinette sits across from her.

"I'd never played it before."

"That's why we're playing it, even though a single game can last a couple of days." Chloé says, dealing out more money for Kagami. "Adrien's the ship, I'm the car, and Marinette's the thimble."

"Why are you the thimble? You can't act that out." Marinette gives her an incredulous look, and Chloé bursts out laughing. "Can I be the dog?"

"Y–Yeah," Chloé says, still laughing. Adrien passes Kagami the dog token, and she puts it on the Start. "Just for that, you can buy any properties that we own that we haven't built on yet."

"But that's mostly _me_!" Adrien complains.

"You should have played more strategically, then." Marinette smirks at him, passing the dice to Kagami. She rolls a nine.

"Monopoly ruins both your self–esteem and your relationships, Adrien." Kagami says, 'walking' her dog down the board. "That's why the British Royal Family aren't allowed to play it; it could end in anarchy." Marinette snorts. Adrien glares at her, bumping his elbow against her arm. "Does anyone own Pentonville road?"

"Me." Adrien grumbles, passing her the card. Kagami smiles, taking the property card from his hand and putting the money in its place. Once he's put it down, she holds her hand out again. He shakes it hesitantly.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Adrien mutters something, unheard over the girl's laughter. "This is unfair, I'm outnumbered." He pouts, crossing his arms.

"Oh, poor diddums." Marinette gives him a side hug. The feeling of her warmth is almost enough for him to forgive her. Almost.

"I'm not a diddums! And I'm not poor!"

"In Monopoly you are." Chloé smirks, snorting at the glare he shoots her. "Most guys would like to be outnumbered by girls." She gives him a sly smile, shifting her eyes pointedly from him to the oblivious Marinette, too busy planning out her next move to notice.

He feels his cheeks flush and shuffles through his property cards as an excuse to duck his head. "I meant by the number of properties you guys own." He mumbles.

"I only own one." Kagami says, glancing between Chloé and Adrien. Unlike Marinette, she saw Chloé's pointed look.

"Yeah, but you just got here."

"And she's smarter than you." Marinette adds. He gives her a deadpanned look, and she snorts. "She is." She shrugs, smiling innocently.

He rolls his eyes. "Monopoly makes you mean."

"Monopoly makes you complain." Chloé says, rolling the dice. "Who owns Marylebone Station?"

Marinette shuffles through her property cards, before glancing at Chloé's. Adrien doesn't have any stations. "You do."

Chloé frowns, and checks her cards. "Oh, I do." She smiles sheepishly.

"Is this all you've been doing so far?" Kagami asks.

"Pretty much." Marinette smiles at her, taking the dice from Chloé. "We're going to make pizzas for dinner. At least, we're going to put the toppings on." She 'sews' her thimble three spaces, and pays Chloé. "My parents have pre–made pizza bases we'll use."

"Cool." She smiles hesitantly, and Marinette reaches over the board to squeeze her hand.

"Don't worry, we're not letting you leave without eating your pizza." Kagami beams at her. "Even if we have to trap your mother in a closet and shove it down your throat quickly."

Kagami snorts. "Mother would _love_ that."

"Speaking of eating," Adrien says, smiling at Marinette hopefully.

She shakes her head fondly. "I'll go get more snacks. Make sure he doesn't cheat." She says, getting up.

"Hey!" Adrien gapes at her. "I would never!"

"Sure!" Marinette calls, not looking back at them as she goes through the trapdoor.

Chloé giggles. "She's not about to forget you stealing half her money when she went to the bathroom." Adrien pouts, mumbling something under his breath.

"Seriously Adrien?" Kagami asks, raising an eyebrow at him. "Marinette's smart enough to notice that."

"Yeah, I'm just not smart enough to realise."

"No, _you_ are not." Chloé agrees, earning another glare. She shrugs. "Just calling it like I see it."

. . .

Sabine watches fondly from the couch as the kids giggle over their pizzas. They decided to share two pizzas between them, and have left one for her and Tom to make themselves once they've finished. By the looks of it, Adrien and Chloé are doing one pizza, and Kagami and Marinette the other. Her daughter looks up and catches her mother's eyes, smile widening even further.

"Remember to not put too much on, otherwise it won't cook all the way through." She reminds, before returning to her book.

"Yes Mum," Marinette says, at the same time Adrien says, "Yes ma'a–_Sabine_."

"Can this really go on pizza?" Chloé asks, holding up a piece of chicken like it's a . . . piece of dead chicken.

"Only because we cut it into strips. You wouldn't be able to put a huge piece of chicken on a pizza because it wouldn't cook." Marinette learnt pretty early into cooking that she's the only one who's ever made pizzas, making her the expert.

"Oh, cool." She spreads the chicken over the pizza base, before Adrien reminds her that they need to put the tomato paste on first, and she picks it off again.

"Do you do this often?" Kagami asks Marinette.

Marinette nods, showing Kagami how to spread the tomato paste using the back of a spoon. "Not that often. It's more time consuming then just buying a pizza, but it's more fun. We used to do it more when I was younger, and we just had to make the one pizza." She passes Kagami the spoon, and tries not to look like she watching her too carefully as she spreads the paste, her movements a little jerky from nerves.

"Can I put the chicken on _now_?" Chloé asks Adrien, annoyed at his insistence that _every_ millimetre of the pizza base has to be covered with as much tomato paste as possible.

"One second." He says, trying to get just a _little_ more spread on one side.

Marinette glances over and her eyes widen, before she reaches over and halts his movements. "If you put any more on, your pizza is just going to taste just like tomatoes, no matter what toppings you put on it." He grins sheepishly, and Chloé smiles smugly.

"My turn!"

Adrien sighs, stepping back to allow her to spread her chicken. "Do we have to put cheese on it?" He asks Marinette, and she nods, smiling.

"Cheese is kind of the main ingredient." She says, and he frowns. She tilts her head. "You don't like cheese?"

"No, I do."

He doesn't offer any further explanation, because aside from telling her about the cheese–obsessed kwami currently sitting in his pocket, trying to convince Adrien to steal the cheese for him, there isn't anything he can really say besides an elaborate lie that he'll have to keep up for the rest of his friendship to this amazing girl.

"Good. I love cheese!" She turns back to Kagami, not noticing the surprised look on his face.

"Y–You do?" He stutters, stepping closer to her. He sees Kagami glance between them, but he doesn't pay it too much attention.

"Yeah. Cheese is amazing. You can do so much with it, and it goes with almost everything." She makes a face. "I don't like how it smells, though." Relief floods through him, and he puts an arm around her waist, pulling her to him in a hug. He has no idea what he'd do if there was more than one cheese–obsessed person in his life.


	13. Sleep

**Chapter Thirteen – Sleep**

Marinette was right in her prediction; they do have to _enjoy_ all of the stories from Lila's party. It wouldn't be so bad if, after every story, the rest of the class didn't then ask why they weren't there. The girls decided not to mention the party to anyone – especially after Chloé told Kagami how Alya reacted to the news – but Adrien doesn't see anything wrong with it.

Until Marinette comes back from the bathroom with tears in her eyes, and that just–got–told–her–dog–or–cat–died look.

He tries to catch her eye, but she avoids his gaze. Actually, she just stares straight ahead at the board, although he doubts she's actually taking anything in. He slides his notebook over to her, _Are you okay?_ written in the margin. She glances down at it, before pushing it back to him. He feels his heart sink, and then anger rushes through him quicker than he thought possible. He clenches his fists, glaring daggers at his notebook because he knows if he looks at Lila he'll–

Marinette's hand slips over his clenched fist and he relaxes it instantly, turning his hand over to interlace their fingers. She still doesn't look at him, but she relaxes against him, her shoulder pressed firmly against his. He scoots even closer to her, pressing their legs together, and slides his notebook over so he can jot down any notes without moving. When Ms Bustier turns around to regard the class, she spares then no more than a glance, but he swears he sees her smile widen as she looks away.

. . .

"What did she do?" Chloé demands, collapsing onto the bench next to Marinette. She bites her lip, fiddling with the corner of her sketchbook. "Come on, I know she did something." She bumps Marinette's knee with her own, and Marinette finally looks at her.

"Nothing I didn't–"

"Stop giving me that BS! You have to tell me what she said."

Marinette frowns, tilting her head. "Why?"

"Because we're friends now, and friends tell each other things." She smirks, looking across the courtyard at the Lila Fan Club. "I would love nothing more than to–"

"Chloé," Marinette rolls her eyes. "It's not worth it." She passes the blonde her sketchbook and Chloé stares down at it, holding it like it's an unexploded bomb.

"Um . . ."

"This is my design I'm working on. They're raincoats, but they're made out of this waterproof cotton, so they look more aesthetically pleasing, and they don't make that crinkling noise when you move."

She takes her phone out of her purse and presses the home button. Chloé smirks at the selfie of Adrien and Marinette set as her background, their faces pressed close together to fit in the frame, just confirming to her that they're going out. Marinette goes into her photos and flicks through until she lands on one.

"This is the fabric."

Chloé makes a face. "It's not that pretty."

"That's the only colour the shop had at the time; I've ordered some nicer one's." She puts her phone away. "Would you like one?"

Chloé chokes on her saliva. "W–What?"

"Would you like one?" She reiterates, taking her sketchbook back. "I've almost finished one for myself, and I'm going to make one for my mum, and Adrien. Do you want one?"

"Isn't that a lot to do?" Chloé asks. Truthfully, she'd love one, but she's still a little hesitant to agree. Making a raincoat would be a lot of work.

"Well, yeah, but I don't mind." She pulls her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "I like making clothes. Besides, it's a good distraction." Chloé follows her gaze to the Lila Fan Club.

"I'd love one, just not in that fabric." She scrunches up her nose. "I don't know whose skin tone it was made for, but it certainly wasn't for someone on earth's."

Marinette snorts. "I was going to make you a yellow one."

Her eyes widen. "Really?"

"Yeah, I know that's your favourite colour." She grins. "Plus, it suits you, Queen Bee."

Chloé's cheeks flush and she looks away. "That was an incredibly ridiculous thing for me to do. _Utterly_ ridiculous."

"The helping to save Paris part, or the revealing your identity on television part?" Chloé glares at her, and she snorts. "Yeah, that could've ended horribly."

"I know." She crosses her legs and watches the Lila Fan Club lean towards their leader, eagerly absorbing her latest tale. "Where's Adrien?"

"He had a photoshoot."

"Is he coming back after?"

"I don't think so, I heard Nathalie say that his dad wants to talk to him."

Chloé frowns. "That's never a good thing." She mutters, before turning to face Marinette. "It's not good to keep bad feelings bottled up; that's how akumas happen."

Marinette sighs. "You're as bad as Adrien." She grumbles, but turns to face the blonde anyway. "She just said something about the party we had being an act of jealously, and that sooner or later you, Kagami and Adrien will realise . . . well, I don't really want to repeat what she said, but she basically insinuated that I'm going to be alone again very soon because you guys will come to your senses."

"More like she'll try to lie to our senses." Chloé says, glaring daggers in that _harlot's_ direction.

"I don't know if it's a matter of _trying_, she's been able to get through to everyone else." Marinette forces a smile.

"That's because everyone else are idiots." Chloé reaches a hand out, hesitating momentarily, before putting her hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Is idiots?" She frowns.

"I think 'are' is correct." Marinette says, grinning. "My . . . friend tells me that Lila's lies will unravel sooner or later, and her true colours will be revealed."

Chloé glances back at the group. "I hope so." She frowns in confusion, turning back to Marinette. "Who's your friend? I thought it was just Kagami, Adrien and I?"

"Oh, um . . ." She shifts slightly, and Chloé removes her hand from her shoulder, wondering if she's getting uncomfortable at the contact. "She's one of the customers at the bakery."

"Oh." Chloé nods. "Is she older than us, then?"

"Yep."

. . .

Adrien stares up at his ceiling, heart pounding in his ears. He's aware of Plagg snuggling into his neck, trying to give him comfort he's too numb to feel. It was only an hour earlier, but it already feels like so long ago. The cool gaze of his father's eyes as he told him the . . . news is what chilled him to his bones.

"You okay kid?" Plagg asks, and his voice is so sudden in the silent room Adrien jumps, heart skipping a beat.

"Yes." He says automatically. Plagg presses closer to him, purring. The vibrations help, and Adrien's heart starts to quiet. "No. I'm not okay." He squeezes his eyes shut.

"Do you want to go visit the princess?"

He opens his eyes. "You're offering to transform?"

The purring pauses, then intensifies. "I want you to be okay; she makes you okay."

Adrien sighs. "Marinette makes Adrien okay; I don't want her to have to deal with Cat Noir too."

"Kid, you _are_ Cat Noir. It's not like you're two different people!"

"She doesn't know that, Plagg." He reaches a hand up and runs a finger along Plagg's side. "I'll be fine, really." He lets his arm drop, and pulls the covers up further. "Besides, she's probably asleep."

"You could call her to find out."

Adrien sighs. "I don't know what to say Plagg; I don't know how I'm supposed to explain it."

"Just say your father is a horrid person and is making you model with the girl that could take Hawk Moth's place on the hierarchy of villains because she has the 'look' he's going for."

Adrien snorts. "I think that may confuse her." He feels Plagg shake his head.

"The princess is smart, and into fashion; I think she knows what he means by 'look'."

Adrien rolls his eyes. "I meant the villain hierarchy." His eyes start to droop. "Can we go to sleep?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Adrien?"

He sighs. "I will be."

"Okay, we can sleep then."


	14. Black in the Sea of Red

**Chapter Fourteen – Black in the Sea of Red**

Marinette wakes up to a missed call from Adrien. He left a voicemail, but all she can hear is static, and what is probably his breathing, and it only lasts a few seconds. She calls him back, but it goes through to his voicemail. She doesn't bother leaving a message; she'll see him in an hour, but she does text him, asking if he's okay.

"Everything okay?" Tikki asks, hovering over her holder, expression masked in worry.

"I'm not sure. Adrien isn't the kind of person to call in the middle of the night." Marinette runs her fingers through her hair, walking down the steps from her bed.

Tikki follows her. "Maybe it was an accident, like those pocket–dial calls."

Marinette shakes her head. "They don't usually happen while someone is sleeping." She slept in her pigtails again, so she takes her hair out and brushes it.

"I'm sure you'll find out soon!" Tikki says enthusiastically, but she wonders if a certain cat–eared kwami has something to do with this.

"Yeah. If something's bothering him, he'll tell me." Marinette smiles briefly, opening her closet to get her usual outfit. "He makes me tell him when I'm upset, so I'll return the favour." She pulls her shirt and jeans out.

"Um, Marinette?" She looks over her shoulder at Tikki. "Today's that hero, worship, appreciation day at school, remember? Everyone's going as Ladybug."

Marinette's eyes widen. "Shoot! I completely forgot." She turns back to her closet, scanning through her clothes. "Wait," She puts her hands back at her sides. "I can't go to school dressed as _Ladybug_, what if someone figures it out?"

Tikki tilts her head, pondering. "You dressed as Ladybug for the music video, and no one guessed it then."

"Alya almost did; she said we look very similar." Marinette sighs. "I'll just have to wear what I usually wear." She bends to pick up her discarded shirt and jeans from the floor, but pauses again, a smile coming to her face. She stands up and turns to face Tikki.

The kwami eyes her warily. "What are you thinking?"

"You said it's _hero_ appreciation day, right?"

. . .

Not even dressing as his partner can lift Adrien's mood. Nathalie had asked him if he wanted an actual costume – yoyo and all – but he thought that would be a little weird, so he settled for black jeans, a red T–shirt and black and red polka dot socks.

When he gets to school, he's glad he did.

He looks around the sea of black and red – mostly red – and spots no less than twenty people dressed up in Ladybug costumes, complete with yoyo and pigtails. Even though he assumed no one would, he still feels a little hurt that no one's dressed as his alter ego. He sees Alya wearing the Ladybug inspired dress Marinette made her, and Nino wearing a similar outfit to himself. He doesn't miss how they seem to be in the aftermath of an argument. Even though they're standing together, they're not paying attention to each other. Alya's looking at something on her phone, and Nino's people watching. His eyes meet Adrien's briefly, and that almost smile returns, before he looks away, pressing back against the wall, as if he's trying to blend in with it.

Chloé waves at him when he enters the classroom, and he returns it, settling in his seat. He was expecting her to be wearing her Ladybug costume, but instead she's wearing a Ladybug inspired shirt, and jean shorts with red and black polka dotted tights underneath.

"Marinette isn't here yet?" He asks, even though he didn't think she would be.

Chloé shakes her head. "Nope." She inspects her nails – painted red. "I can't wait to see what she's wearing though. Whatever it is, it's sure to be a mazing." She avoids his gaze, and her cheeks flush slightly. He puts it down to her still not being used to complimenting Marinette.

"Yeah. She's amazing." He agrees, before his cheeks flush when he realises what he said. "I–I–I mean her designs are amazing."

Chloé smirks at him. "Sure, lover boy."

He splutters, and she snorts, shaking her head. The door opens and he turns towards it so fast he almost gives himself whiplash. Nino raises an eyebrow at him.

"Hey," He says, walking to his seat. As he gets closer, Adrien notices his eyes are red and puffy.

"Hey. Are you okay?" He turns to look at Nino, who just shrugs, collapsing into his seat.

"Not really." His voice cracks, and he coughs. "I . . . I think Alya and I broke up."

"_What_?" It comes out a lot louder than he expected, and Nino flinches, leaning closer to him.

"Can you keep it quiet. I don't want . . . I just don't." He shakes his head, and Adrien watches as tears fill his eyes. He blinks them away.

"What happened?" Adrien whispers.

Nino looks away from him, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "It's a long story." He swallows audibly, blinking some more. "Just . . . a lot has happened in the last few weeks." He glances at an equally–devastated looking Alya talking to Lila, dressed in a Ladybug costume, and Adrien presses his lips into a firm line.

"Do . . . Do you want to switch seats?" He doesn't really want to, he loves sitting next to Marinette, but Nino's more important to him then a seating arrangement is ever going to be.

Nino blinks at him in surprise. He looks like he might seriously be considering his offer, but then he shakes his head. "No, I don't want to move. I just want everything to go back to how it was."

Adrien frowns. "Before you broke up, or–"

"We haven't broken up. Officially." Nino interjects, voice panicked. "She . . . we decided to take a break."

"Sorry. Before you took a break or before Lila got here?" Adrien tries to keep eye contact with him, but Nino ducks his head.

"Can we not go there? Please?"

Adrien purses his lips again, glancing back at the girls. Alya caches his gaze briefly, then her eyes flick to Nino. She presses her mouth into a firm line, but her eyes shimmer with unshed tears.

"Okay."

Nino leans back into his seat and starts taking his things out of his bag, so Adrien does the same. Alya eventually moves to her seat, and he hears Nino say a quiet 'Hey' after an eternity of silence. He finds himself holding his breath until Alya whispers 'Hey' in return. The door opens, but he doesn't look up, expecting it to be Ms Bustier. There's a sharp inhale from behind him, and a quiet murmur fills the room.

"Damn, Mari." Chloé says, and Adrien's head shoots up. His eyes widen when they finally land on her. "Didn't know you had it in you."

Marinette snorts at Chloé's remark, letting the door shut behind her. She's aware of everyone's eyes on her, and walks towards her desk nervously. Adrien's gaze follows her, and she doesn't miss the way his gaze flicks up and down her outfit.

"Hey Adrien." She says, smiling at him. He continues to stare at her, gaze flicking up to the cat ear headband she had to leave her hair down for.

"H–Hey," He stammers, cheeks flushing redder than she's ever seen them. "You, you l–look . . ." He swallows, glancing away from her. "Pretty."

She giggles. "Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself." She bumps her shoulder against his before taking her things out of her bag. When she looks back at him, he's staring at her again. He quickly flicks his gaze to the front of the room. She bites her lip. "Hey, Adrien?"

He looks back at her, trying very, _very_ hard to not look over her outfit again. "Y–Yeah?"

She opens her mouth to reply, when Ms Bustier enters the classroom, wearing a black skirt, red blouse, and black cardigan. "Can we talk at lunch? Just the two of us?"

He nods. "Sure."

. . .

Adrien can't keep his eyes off her. It's not like she's wearing anything extravagant or anything, it's just the fact that she's dressed as _him_. Well, his alter ego, but still _him_. He also realises he's never seen her in a dress before, and the cat ears and cat tights definitely aren't helping him.

When the bell finally goes for lunch, she turns to him, already smiling. "Do you want to go to the park?"

"Okay." He quickly packs up his things, and when they stand up, he grabs her hand and interlaces their fingers. "Can we play the ninja game?"

She smirks. "What do you think?"


	15. Balcony

**Chapter Fifteen – Balcony**

They noticed the first time they played ninjas in the park that there aren't a lot of adequate objects to hide behind, helped greatly by the mostly vast landscape. Adrien distinctly remembers one of the times they played, right before Chloé joined them, when Marinette ducked under a bench seat.

"Why did you go _under_ it? I can see all of you!" He'd called, trying (and failing) to contain his laughter.

"You say that like you fit behind that tree." She'd said, grinning at him, before rolling out from under the bench. She'd stood up, brushing dirt and dry grass off of herself.

He laughs now, remembering it, and Marinette glances over her shoulder at him, before turning around fully so her back's leaning against the tree they're both hiding behind.

"What's so funny?" She asks, reaching up to remove a piece of grass stuck in his hair.

He grins. "I was just remembering one of our adventures." She smiles, tilting her head back to look up at the leaves blowing in the wind above their heads. Adrien takes the time to appreciate the bell necklace resting against her collarbones.

"It was a very exciting one?"

"Very."

"Filled with wonderful hiding places?"

"Yes."

"And no Lila spotting's?" She looks back at him, and he smiles.

"None whatsoever." He murmurs, gaze flicking down to her lips when she smiles.

"That explains why you're so happy." She winks at him, and he almost chokes on his saliva. She shifts nervously, wringing her hands together. "Um . . . Adrien?"

"Yeah?" He frowns at her hesitance, fearing the worst.

"Are you okay? I got a call from you last night. At about midnight." Her eyes scan over his face, hoping to find the answer to her question.

"Oh, um, well . . ." He hasn't even told Plagg about that. "I just, I needed . . ." He swallows, mentally shaking himself. "My father told me some . . . news. About a photoshoot this Saturday."

"Oh?" She asks when he hesitates.

"He wants me to model with Lila." He blurts out quickly, deciding the best way to get it out is to do it quickly; like ripping off a Band-Aid.

"With Lila?" He nods. "Does your dad know she–"

"No. Not unless the school called. He knows she tricked her way inside once, but apparently he likes her 'look' or something." He rolls his eyes. "I don't want to do this."

She frowns, every crevice of her face filled with concern, and she grabs his hand, interlacing their fingers. "Can you tell your dad 'no'?"

He shakes his head. "No one says 'no' to _Gabriel Agreste_." He rolls his eyes again. "I think the only one who ever did was my mother."

Marinette purses her lips, thinking about what he could do. What she could do. "What are you going to do?"

He shrugs, reaching his free hand up to scratch the back of his neck. "I'm just going to do whatever he wants. Vincent will be the photographer, and he's worked with me my entire modelling career. He knows when I'm . . . well, he knows when I've had enough."

"Do you have a lunch break?" Marinette asks, an idea forming in her head.

Adrien frowns, confused. "Yeah?"

"Would it help working with Lila if you have something to look forward to?"

"Yeah?" Adrien says again, still not getting what she means.

She rolls her eyes, sighing exasperatedly, but her eyes sparkle with mirth. "Do you want me to meet you for lunch on Saturday?" She asks, putting emphasis on each word so he gets it.

A grin breaks out on his face, and he wraps his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Really? Oh my God, you're amazing!" She giggles, before patting his shoulder.

"Adrien, could you let me go? I kind of need oxygen."

He steps back from her instantly, staring at her in concern. "I'm sorry! I'm _so_ sorry. I'm just super excited, and you're amazing, and I don't deserve to have you as a friend, and I am so, _so_ sorry, really s–"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry again." She giggles, stepping closer to take his hand again. The wind billows her dress, and he feels the hem brush against his legs through his jeans. "From now on, you're only allowed to apologise for running into someone." She smirks. "And for saying really bad puns."

"Puns are great."

"Puns are _terrible_."

"Says the girl dressed as Cat Noir." He reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger against her jaw.

Her cheeks flush. "I don't like him for his puns; I like him because he's a hero."

Adrien's breath catches in his throat, and he has to remind himself he's not in his cat suit right now. "You think so?"

She raises an eyebrow at him. "You don't? I know most of Paris loves Ladybug because she's the one who releases the akuma or whatever, but Cat Noir is just as amazing, and there is _no way_ Ladybug would be the hero she is without Cat Noir. They're a team. Ladybug and Cat Noir–"

Marinette lets out a surprised squeak as Adrien's lips brush against hers, one hand cupping her cheek, the other still clasped in her grasp. It takes a millisecond for her to respond, pressing their lips together firmly, letting her eyes fall closed. He moves slightly, returning the kiss, before pulling back. Both are breathless, panting as if they've run a marathon, although it only lasted about two seconds.

"W–What was that for?" Marinette stutters, staring at him in shock.

He grins, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers. "You're amazing." He whispers. Marinette's eyes bore into his, and a grin slowly breaks out on her face. She shakes her head, reaching a hand up to caress his cheek.

"You're a dork."

He snorts, pressing a quick kiss to her nose. "I know."

. . .

The door to the bakery opens and Marinette glances up from her phone, where she and Adrien have been texting each other cat memes all afternoon, mid–laugh. It catches in her throat when her eyes meet Alya's.

"Hey." She puts her phone down.

"Hi." Alya says, stepping into the bakery hesitantly. She glances around.

"Mum and Dad are upstairs, getting ready for their anniversary dinner."

Alya relaxes instantly. "That's today?" Marinette nods. Alya smiles briefly, before ducking her head, wringing her hands together nervously. "Could you tell them I say 'happy anniversary'?"

"Of course." An awkward silence sits between them, and Alya shifts her weight from foot to foot. "Did your mum send you for some bread?" Marinette asks, eventually, pointing at the bread case.

Alya shakes her head. "No, I, um . . ." She trails off, biting her lip. Her expression hardens and softens in a matter of seconds, before she meets Marinette's gaze. "Can you tell me, one last time, whether you believe Lila or not."

"Alya," Marinette says, already shaking her head.

Her expression hardens. "Please." Tears prick in Alya's eyes, and Marinette's protest catches in the back of her throat.

"I still don't believe Lila." She frowns, daring Alya to maintain eye contact. "I will _never_ believe Lila."

Silence falls between them; tension so think you could cut it with a knife. Marinette's phone flashes, and she glances down to see Adrien's sent her another cat meme. She snorts before she can stop herself. When she glances up, she's surprised to see Alya standing right in front of her, the counter the only physical thing between them.

Alya's eyes flick down to Marinette's phone. "I can go if you want me to, I know you probably want to talk to Adrien alo–"

"It's fine." Marinette says quickly, turning her phone off.

"Are you sure?" Alya asks, looking more surprised than Marinette felt when she saw her standing in the bakery. "You _were_ in the middle of a conversation."

"We were actually just sending each other cat memes." Marinette says sheepishly. A laugh escapes Alya suddenly, shocking them both. Marinette giggles.

"Adrien likes cat memes?" Alya asks, wiping her eyes.

Marinette nods. "He doesn't just like them; he _loves_ them." She rolls her eyes.

"Really?" Alya raises her eyebrows.

"Yep." Marinette smiles briefly. "Why are you here Alya?"

The mirth disappears from her eyes instantly, and she glances down at the counter top, chewing on her lip. "I messed up everything."

Marinette frowns. "What do you mean?"

Alya looks up at her, tears pricking in her eyes. She blinks and one falls down her cheek. She wipes it away. "Our friendship, my relationship with Nino, the Ladybl–"

"What do you mean your relationship?" Marinette asks, feeling dread rush through her.

"We broke up."

"Br– . . . broke up?" She asks, gaping at her.

Alya nods. "Today. At lunch." She wipes her eyes on the back of her hand, sniffing. "He said . . . it doesn't matter what he said. He was–_is_ right." Tears trickle down her cheeks and she sniffs again. Marinette gets her a tissue.

"What? Why?" Marinette shakes her head in disbelief. Alya opens her mouth to reply, but hesitates. Marinette's phone flashes with another cat meme, and she puts her phone in her pocket. "Don't answer that yet, this is a conversation that has to take place over macaroons and hot chocolate."

Alya smiles at her hopefully. "Balcony?"

Marinette smiles, coming around the counter. She pulls her into a hug, squeezing so hard she wouldn't be surprised if Alya's bones snapped. "Balcony."


	16. Alya's Ship

**Chapter Sixteen – Alya's Ship**

Marinette sips her hot chocolate, waiting patiently for Alya to start talking. The box of macaroons sits, uneaten, between their crossed legs. Having said 'goodbye' to her parents just two minutes earlier, she feels a little weird being alone in the house with Alya after all these weeks.

"When did you first know Lila was lying?" Alya asks, and Marinette almost chokes on her hot chocolate. She thought Alya was going to talk about her and Nino.

"Oh, um . . ." Marinette obviously knew from the second she said Ladybug saved her, but unless she's Ladybug, she should have no proof that that isn't the case. "When she said the she got tinnitus from saving Jagged Stone's cat." She rolls her eyes, setting her mug on the floor beside her. "She also told me."

"What?" Alya stares at her, setting her own mug down.

"After the whole 'napkin can take someone's eye out' thing. She told me she only tells people what they want to hear, and that there's nothing I can do about it." She shrugs, putting her hair behind her ear.

The action draws Alya's attention, and her eyes widen. "I didn't notice before, your hair's down."

"Oh, yeah." She smiles briefly.

"It looks nice." Alya returns her smile, before looking away from her. "Why didn't you tell me she said that?"

"Would have you believed me?" Alya falters, opening and closing her mouth as she tries to find the right thing to say. Marinette smiles sadly. "Don't worry, I wasn't expecting an answer."

"I'd like to say I would have." Alya says, grabbing Marinette's hand. "But . . . I really don't know. Lila had me wrapped around her finger."

Marinette frowns. "What do you mean 'had'?"

"We hung out on Sunday, and she told me she was involved in an akuma attack on Saturday night after the party, but the akuma was too powerful and it was able to capture Ladybug and Cat Noir, so they sent for Rena Rouge and Carapace to save her." She rolls her eyes.

"How do you know that's not a lie."

"Because the last akuma attack was on Friday. If there was one on Saturday, and if there was one that big, it would've been on the news." She shakes her head angrily. "When I told Lila that, she said–"

"That the akuma was able to prevent footage being taken of the battle?"

Alya raises her eyebrows at her. "How'd you know she said that."

Marinette smiles grimly, removing her hand from Alya's grasp to wrap her arms around her legs. "Because it's the only lie that would explain why there isn't any footage." Alya glances away from her again, picking up her mug to sip it. "You didn't come here to talk about Lila, though, did you?"

"No." She sets her mug down. "I told Nino what she said, and then he got mad at me for taking so long to realise that she was lying, and–"

"Wait!" Marinette says, recrossing her legs. "Nino knew she was lying?"

Alya's cheeks flush, and she avoids Marinette's gaze. "Yeah."

"For how long?"

Alya shrugs, chewing on her finger nail. "He didn't really say." Marinette continues to frown, but Alya shakes her head. "It doesn't really matter when he figured it out, does it? It's not like it was hurting anyone." She smiles at Marinette, but she just continues to frown.

"It was hurting Adrien." She says bluntly, turning to lean back against the railing. "Nino's his best friend; not being able to talk to him without censoring his words was killing him."

"Hey, it wasn't like that." Alya argues, but Marinette just raises an eyebrow.

"It _is_, Alya. It's _exactly_ like that." She shakes her head, pulling her legs up to her chest. "I still don't get it though, what does Lila have to do with you guys breaking up?"

Alya sighs, taking a macaroon from the box. She chews in silence for a moment, before mirroring Marinette's position against the railing. "He's been trying to tell me that Lila's lying pretty much since you stopped." She glances at Marinette. "I never believed him, and I just kept telling him that he was just trying to find someone to blame for him and Adrien drifting apart." She fiddles with her fingers. "He didn't like that, obviously, and then at Lila's party we got into this huge fight and he left early, and I should've gone after him, but I . . . Lila was upset so I stayed back with her, and then I made plans to meet up with Nino on Sunday, but Lila wanted to go to the movies, so I bailed on him, and he called me later and he said . . ." She shakes her head, wiping her tears on the back of her hand.

"What did he say?" Marinette asks, putting her own hurt aside and taking Alya's hand.

Alya grips it tightly, inhaling shakily. "He said that I'm not acting like myself; I'm not the same person he fell in love with." Marinette's eyes widen. As far as she knew, they'd never said that to each other. "He basically said that that's the only reason he's sticking by me instead of . . ." She trails off. "Instead of joining you and Adrien."

"And Chloé and Kagami." Marinette interjects, squeezing Alya's hand tighter.

She smiles. "I still can't believe you and Chloé are friends. I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Marinette shrugs, but doesn't offer any explanation. "Well, like I said earlier. It doesn't really matter what he said, he's just right." She grabs Marinette's other hand, holding them together. "I let Lila push you away because I was so . . ."

"Enamoured? Manipulated?" Marinette smiles, but Alya can tell it isn't real.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry, girl." Her eyes water, and Marinette sighs, glancing away from her.

"Are you sorry because you didn't believe me, or are you sorry because you realised Lila's been lying all along?"

Alya bites her lip, and pulls her hands from Marinette's grasp to wrap her arms around her legs. "Both. But mostly because I hurt you." Marinette ducks her head. "I really hurt you."

"Yep."

"Can you forgive me? Can we be friends again?" Alya smiles hopefully, but Marinette continues to avoid her gaze.

She crosses her legs again. "I don't know." She swallows, glancing at Alya. "What happens next time? What happens when someone else starts lying? Are you going to believe them over me again, and only come back when _you_ realise they're lying?"

Alya wipes a stray tear off her cheek. "Of cause not, I would never–"

"Never not believe me?" Marinette frowns at her. "You didn't just hurt me by not believing me. You hurt me because you started putting me down to make me feel guilty." Alya's cheeks flush, and she ducks her head. "I'm not jealous, Alya. I was at the very beginning, before Adrien and I became real friends, but I haven't been jealous of her for a long time. I don't have any reason to be."

"I know." Alya says quietly, pushing her glasses further up her nose.

"Then you should know that I can't just go back to being your friend like nothing happened." Alya looks at her, panicked. "It's going to take some time for me to trust you again, and I honestly don't know if I ever will."

"But you're my best friend." Alya says, voice more child–like then Marinette's ever heard it.

"And you'll always be my best friend, but I can't just go from where we left off." She grabs her hand, interlacing their fingers. "You really hurt me, Als. And one day I _will_ forgive you."

"I hope so." Alya smiles at her, before pressing a friendly kiss to her cheek. "What do you mean you and Adrien are 'real friends' now? With all the kissing and closeness, I'd have thought you were going out." She wriggles her eyebrows suggestively, and Marinette giggles, shoving her good–naturedly.

"We're not going out."

"Yet."

"Shut up."

"I can't believe this! If I had known all it would take for him to fall in love with you was–"

"He's not in love with me!"

"–ruining our friendship, I would have done it _ages_ ago!" Marinette groans. "What?" Alya grins at her. "I can't be happy my ship's finally sailing?"


	17. The Bruise

**Chapter Seventeen – The Bruise**

Marinette and Chloé pair up for PE again, although she doesn't miss Alya's gaze on them. Despite her and Lila not really being friends anymore, she's still paired with her.

"What's up with Alya and Nino?" Chloé asks, leaning back on her hands. The teacher had to go to the bathroom, so they're taking the time to just sit and talk.

"I'm not really sure." Marinette lies, not feeling comfortable discussing their relationship.

Chloé raises an eyebrow at her. "You're not a great liar."

"I know." She smiles, tapping her fingers on her knees. "It's just not really my place to say."

"I get that." She flicks her hair over her shoulder, glancing at Sabrina. "Are you guys friends again?" Chloé hates to admit it, but she's actually dreading the day her and Alya go back to being besties; she's really grown to like her friendship with Marinette. Maybe she even loves it.

"No. Not yet." Marinette shrugs. "She hurt me too much for me to forgive her right away."

"Who says you have to forgive her?" Chloé asks, tearing her eyes away from her former best friend to look at the girl who is remarkably close to taking her place (not that she'd ever let her know, because, _reputation_).

"No one." She pulls on her pigtail nervously. "But if Sabrina wanted to be friends again, wouldn't you want to forgive her?"

Chloé shrugs, glancing back at Sabrina. "I don't really know." She smiles at Marinette, leaning forward and crossing her legs. "What's going on with you and Adrien?" She asks, smiling suggestively.

Marinette's eyes widen. "You're changing the subject."

Chloé rolls her eyes. "_Duh_! Just answer the question. I've seen how he looks at you."

Marinette ducks her head, but Chloé still catches her smile. "Do you really want to talk about this? I mean, I thought you liked him?"

"Eh," Chloé shrugs. "He's not really my type. It's kind of just muscle memory to hang off him and stuff." Her cheeks flush. "Our parent's kind of encouraged us to hug and kiss a lot when we were younger, because they always envisioned we'd get together when we were older." She shrugs again. "I mean, I did have a bit of a crush on him when we were kids, but that was mostly just because he's the only boy I've ever been close to, and it was kind of programmed into me that I was supposed to like him."

"I get that." Marinette says, smiling at her.

Chloé smirks. "So now that you know where I lie with Adrien, where do you lie?" She groans, and Chloé laughs.

"Can't we just do exercise?" She asks hopefully, but the blonde shakes her head.

"Nope. No way. You're not getting out of this, Dupain–Chang."

"Seriously? We're back to that?"

"Only when you're acting ridiculous. _Utterly_–"

"Ridiculous?" Chloé glares at her smirk, and Marinette snorts. "I'm not really sure. I definitely like him."

"No kidding." Chloé says dryly, before snorting at Marinette's deadpanned look.

"But we haven't really talked or anything." She shrugs, pulling on her pigtail again. "Honestly, at this point I would be fine if nothing actually happened. He's basically my best friend, and I don't want to lose that."

Chloé smiles like she agrees, before slapping the side of Marinette's head. "_You idiot_!" She almost shouts, not caring that it draws their attention to the rest of the class. "You can't just _be friends_ forever!" She groans. "You are seriously driving me crazy, dancing around each other like this!"

"We're not–"

"Oh, _yes you are_! _Seriously_! You would have to be _blind_ to not see the way he looks at you." She groans again, flopping on her back as if she's exhausted. "_God_." She throws an arm over her eyes. "Can you just do the world a favour and get together already?"

Marinette splutters, cheeks flushing redder than they've ever been, and she covers her face with her hands, groaning. It's just her luck she'd lose one nosy and impulsive friend just to gain another.

. . .

Marinette watches from the sidelines, where she's sitting on a bench, sketching out a detailed design for Kagami's raincoat – not that she's told her she's getting one yet – as Adrien and Kagami dance back and forth in front of her, swinging their fencing swords around, shouting words she doesn't understand.

"So, what exactly is this photoshoot about?" Kagami asks, before shouting a word that sounds like a disease and swinging her sword at Adrien.

He ducks, holding his sword up to block hers. "I don't really get the concept, but I know what one of the main photos is." He swings at her, and she dances back, blocking his attack.

"What's that?" Marinette asks, flinching as their swords come into contact with each other and make a loud scraping noise.

"We have to stand back to back . . . but we're not actually touching . . . and I'm tilting my head back . . . with my eyes closed . . . and she's looking at the camera . . . with the expression of 'someone's taken your spaghetti'." Adrien explains, between attacks and grunts and disease–sounding words.

Marinette snorts. "Okay, I gotta ask. What is with Vincent and the spaghetti?"

"Um . . ." He makes a lunge at Kagami, but she dodges and makes a lunge at him. The point of her sword connects with his chest. "_Phew_." He sighs, lifting his helmet so he can see unobstructed. He shakes Kagami's hand. "I'm not really sure."

"You made us wait over thirty seconds so we could hear that?" Kagami asks, taking her helmet off and shaking her hair out.

Adrien shrugs. "I was also trying to think of an answer."

"I take it you came up with nothing?" Marinette asks, not looking up from her sketchbook. Kagami tilts her head at her and walks over, looking down at her sketchbook.

"Yep. Zilch. Zero. I have no idea." He sets his sword on the floor and takes his own helmet off.

"Has he always based his prompts on spa–_ahh_!" Marinette jumps, falling backwards off the bench.

Kagami cringes. "Sorry! I thought you knew I was here." She says, reaching forward to grab Marinette's hand. She pulls her back onto the bench as Adrien arrives at her side, frowning in concern.

"It's okay, you just scared me." She says, closing her sketchbook quickly. Adrien straddles the seat beside her and tilts her head to the side, inspecting the back of her head. "I'm fine, Adrien." She says, trying to push his hands away.

"That's what people who aren't fine say." He says, and she rolls her eyes.

"I didn't hit my head, I landed on my elbows." She regrets telling him that, because he starts trying to take her blazer off of her so he can inspect her arms.

"I just want to check you're okay." He says, but she shakes her head and opens her mouth to protest.

"Just let him, Marinette. It'll be quicker than trying to stop him." Kagami says, putting her hand not holding her sword and helmet on her hip. Marinette sighs, before shrugging her blazer off. She shivers when Adrien's fingers brush against her bare arm.

"Sorry, my hands are cold." He says, before frowning. "What is this?" Marinette looks down at her arm at the same time Adrien runs his fingers lightly over her latest bruise.

"Nothing, just a cooking accident." She tries to get up, but he grabs her wrist, pulling her back down.

"A cooking accident? Mari, I can see finger imprints." He runs his thumb over it lightly, and she flinches, trying to pull her arm away.

"I told you, It's noth–"

"Was it Lila?" Kagami asks, and Marinette stiffens.

"She did this to you?" Adrien asks, voice dangerously close to a growl.

Marinette shakes her head hastily, moving out of Adrien's grasp. She pulls her blazer back on. "It doesn't matter. I can handle it. I'll see you t–tomorrow." She grabs her bag and runs away before they can stop her. Adrien swears.

"I'm going to kill her." He mutters, running his fingers through his hair as he gets up from the bench.

Kagami picks up Marinette's sketchbook. "Don't do that. If she's dead, we can't make her pay for all she's done." Adrien frowns at her, and she smiles briefly, holding out Marinette's sketchbook. "Will she be okay?"

"I don't know." He takes her sketchbook from Kagami and clutches it to his chest. "Maybe you should talk to her."

"Why?"

"Because you're a girl?" Adrien shrugs. "She might be more comfortable talking to you than–"

"I don't know how much help I'd be." Kagami says bluntly. "I think she'd rather be comforted by you."

Adrien nods, absentmindedly running his finger down the spine of her sketchbook. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Kagami shakes her head. "I have that fencing competition." She raises her eyebrow. "You know, the one you were too chicken to participate in."

Adrien rolls his eyes. "I'm not too chicken, I just knew my dad would say 'no'." Kagami shrugs. "I'll see you on Monday then." He starts walking towards the changing room.

"Saturday night." She says, and he frowns looking over his shoulder at her. She rolls her eyes, sighing in exasperation. "Your dad's party? To celebrate his new line? The one you're doing the photoshoot with Lila for?"

"Oh! Right. I'll see you there." He waves, before continuing towards the changing room.

"Bring your girlfriend! We can hang out together to avoid Lila."

"Will do!"

It's only when he enters the changing room, and Plagg starts snickering, that he realises what Kagami said.


	18. Battles and War

**Chapter Eighteen – Battles and War**

Sabine sends Adrien up to Marinette's room with a plate of cookies. He knocks before entering, but doesn't get an answer, so he pushes the trap door open slowly.

"Marinette?" There's still no reply, so he steps into her room, closing the trap door behind him. "Your mum gave me cookies?" He looks up at her bed, but she's not there. He bites his lip, feeling a little weird being in her room without her. He sets her sketchbook and the plate of cookies on her desk, next to her school bag, and is about to leave when the skylight opens.

"Oh," Marinette says, staring down at him. He smiles slightly. "I thought I heard someone."

"I just wanted to bring you your sketchbook. And make sure you're okay." He fiddles with his fingers, not entirely sure what he's supposed to say. Or do.

"I'm fine. Aren't you supposed to be at fencing?"

He shrugs. "I texted Raymond to say I'm over here." Well, he hasn't yet, but he will. "Can I come up?"

She smiles slightly, and rather than answering she climbs through the skylight and sits on her bed, leaning back against the wall. He grabs the plate of cookies and joins her, mirroring her position. They eat the cookies in silence, their sides pressed together. Adrien tries not to stare at her arm, where he knows the bruise sits under her blazer.

"Thank you." She says eventually. She moves the empty plate away and cuddles against him. He doesn't hesitate to put an arm around her.

"For the cookies or for my excellent conversation skills?"

She hits his chest lightly, before curling her arm around his waist. "Both."

He presses a kiss to the top of her head. "You're welcome." He runs his fingers up and down her back in a soothing motion. "Is the bruise the one from a couple of weeks ago? The bathroom incident?" He feels her head move against his chest, and then she pulls away from him.

"No." She stares down at her lap.

He sits up straighter against the wall. "Then when?" She opens her mouth to answer, but hesitates and shakes her head. "Please tell me. I just want to protect you."

"It's not your job to protect me." She says quietly. He reaches out for her hand, but she pulls it from his grasp, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Maybe not, but you're my friend; my best friend. I hate seeing you hurt." She finally looks at him, and he realises her eyes are red from crying.

"You're my best friend too." She smiles briefly, before laying down.

"Good." He fiddles with his fingers, still unsure of what to say to her.

She pats the bed beside her. "You can lay down if you want."

"Are you sure?" He asks, already doing so.

She snorts and grabs his hand. He interlaces their fingers. "You're a dork."

"I know." He absentmindedly runs his thumb over her knuckles.

"It was on Monday." She says, before pulling her hand from his grasp. He's about to protest, but she sits up and takes her blazer off, before laying down on her side, facing him. He rolls onto his side and ghosts a finger over the mark.

"Does it hurt?"

"Only when you touch it."

He moves his hand away instantly. "Sorry."

She smiles, shifting a little closer. Her knee nudges his. "You didn't make it hurt."

"Are you sure." He frowns in concern, and she reaches a hand up and caresses his cheek.

"Positive." He grins, slipping his arm around her waist.

They stay like that for a while, only moving when Adrien has to text Raymond. He agrees to let him stay with her until after fencing ends, maybe even a little longer. He shows Marinette the text, and she grins, shifting closer to him. Her breath tickles his collar bone, and he wriggles down the bed slightly so they're face to face.

"My dad's having a party on Saturday night, to celebrate his new line."

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that." She brushes her fingers through his hair and he hums, letting his eyes fall closed. "It's at Le Grand Paris, right?"

"Yeah." Her hand moves from his hair down to his cheek, and he blinks his eyes open. "Do you want to come?"

Her eyes widen. "To your dad's party?" He shrugs, and she splutters, cheeks flushing, before hiding her face in his neck. "Oh my God!" She whispers, and he tightens his arm around her waist.

"Do you want to come?" He asks again, still not sure if she's agreeing or not. She nods against him, and he grins. "Yay!"

She snorts, pulling back from him. "Would your dad let me come?"

"I always have a plus–one, I just never invite anyone." He makes a face. "It isn't usually the kind of thing someone our age enjoys."

"I get that." She bites her lip so she doesn't squeal in excitement.

"Kagami and her mother will be there, and Chloé, obviously. I don't really know if she'll hang out with us though." He bites his lip.

"Is her mum coming back?" She asks quietly, brushing his hair out of his eyes. He's starting to look increasingly similar to Cat Noir, and it's a little unsettling.

"Yep." He rolls his eyes. "I know Chloé loves her, and I get that, but the women's just . . ."

"Toxic?"

"Yeah." He runs his hand up and down her back again, and she shifts away from his touch embarrassingly when his fingers brush over her bra strap. "Sorry." He halts his movements.

"It's okay." She leans forward, 'booping' her nose against his.

He giggles. "We're going to build a fortress of protection from Lila."

"Yeah?" She blinks at him, and he blinks back as though it's second nature.

He hums, shifting closer to lean his forehead against hers. "If Chloé joins us, we may even get to escape to play the ninja game."

She grins. "We haven't been able to show Kagami that yet."

"Well, that's reason enough right there!" She giggles, rolling her eyes. His gaze flicks to the bruise on her arm, and he turns her arm gently so he can see it better. "How did she do this?"

Marinette looks away from him, and he wraps his arm around her waist again, pulling her even closer to him. Her legs press firmly against his, and she reaches up to push his hair off his forehead. His eyes bore into hers.

"She was just trying to stop me from leaving."

He frowns. "Where were you?"

"The girl's bathroom."

"I should have been there to stop her."

"You should have been in the girl's bathroom? That doesn't seem like the kind of reputation your dad would want you to have."

He glares at her good–naturedly. "Haha." She snorts. "I don't like seeing you dealing with her on your own."

"You can't always be there. And this is my battle, I have to fight it." She brushes her fingers through his hair.

"You don't have to fight it alone." He argues, and she smiles, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

"I'm not alone. I just have to fight my own battles, just like you have to fight yours."

He frowns, confused. "What battles?"

"Fencing. Going to public school. Getting free time." She smirks. "Ultimate Mecha Strike III."

He rolls his eyes. "That's not a battle," He leans closer to her until their noses are touching. "That's war."

. . .

They stay at school for lunch on Friday, and Nino joins them. They sit at a table as far away from the Lila Fan Club as they possibly can while still being in the cafeteria. At first, Nino seems a little hesitant to be sitting at the same table as Chloé, but after watching the other two occupants of the table – Kagami always has to go home for lunch – argue about why Jagged Stone is the greatest rock and roll star to ever walk the earth (Chloé seems to still be on the fence), he can't help but join in with his own opinions, quickly shutting down Chloé's argument that XY is 'the next biggest thing, and the thought that you would think that that would go to some crocodile–loving, soup song writer is ridiculous. _Utterly_ ridiculous'.

"He wrote a song about _soup_." She finally grumbles, and Marinette glares at her, but Nino can see she's trying not to laugh.

"Yeah. The greatest soup in the world, made by the greatest chef in the world!"

"Your opinion doesn't count! You're biased!" Chloé says, smirking. Marinette sticks her tongue out at her.

"I agree with Marinette, Chang Shifu's soup is incredible." Adrien says, but Chloé just gives him a stink eye.

"You're biased too, lover boy!" Marinette and Adrien giggle.

Nino glances between them, completely confused. "Um, _what_?"


	19. Vincent's Plan

**Chapter Nineteen – Vincent's Plan**

Adrien flinches every time Lila brushes against him, and he resists the urge to put a full meter of space between them. If his father wasn't watching him from Nathalie's tablet, he may have done so.

"Good, good, Adrien. Imagine the spaghetti, it is going to be delicious, but it is not yet within you're reach." Vincent's voice is strained; he's been tasked with the impossible mission of trying to make Adrien comfortable while at the same time trying to make this Lila girl portray the vision in his head. "Lila, you need to look at the camera, not at Adrien. Your spaghetti has been taken from you and someone else is eating it."

She frowns at him. "I don't like spaghetti. Can't you just tell me to look sad or whatever it is you're going for?" She pouts, and Vincent only just manages to stop himself from swearing.

"You're not supposed to look _sad_; your spaghetti has been taken from you and _someone else is eating it_." He reiterates, voice rising in frustration towards the end. She raises an eyebrow at him, shifting back slightly. Adrien almost jumps a foot in the air at the contact.

"Adrien, I did not raise you to be skittish." Gabriel chastises coldly, and Vincent shivers. He loves working with Adrien, but if his father was at every photoshoot – via webcam or not – he would probably quit. He has _no idea_ how the boy puts up with him 24/7. "Be professional."

"Yes father." He says, emotionless, falling back into character with the same grace as a reluctant cat getting into a bath.

"Good, Adrien." Vincent says, snapping more photos, not even bothering to look in the view finder. Lila is just _not doing_ what she's supposed to be doing. "Lila, please. Your spaghetti – eaten by someone else."

"I don't know how to portray that. I really don't like spaghetti." Lila bats her eyelashes at him, and he can't tell if there's something in her eye, or if she's going for innocent. If it's the latter, she seems to be about as innocent as a fox.

"Just imagine someone is eating your spaghetti." He reiterates, surprised he's even able to get the words out through his clenched jaw. She morphs her face into an expression of someone eating spaghetti with a single chopstick. "Good." He starts to snap more photos, even though it is _not_ good.

"Really?" She grins at him, eyes widening, and he groans. "Thank you so much!" She turns to Adrien, who leans his body away from her. "I'm so grateful to your dad for giving me this opportunity. It's going so well! No wonder you enjoy it." She bats her eyelashes at him, and tries to loop her arm through his. He lets out a strangled squeak.

"Lila, no touching, remember?" Vincent calls, thankfully earning her attention. "This prompt is about _longing_, not touching." He holds her gaze for a moment longer, hoping it's finally sunk in.

"Longing. Yes, of course." She grins at Adrien again, before moving some–what back into the position it took Vincent almost half an hour to get her into.

He rolls his eyes, before glancing at Nathalie (and her tablet). She's tapping away on it, and then she puts it under her arm and moves towards the elevator doors. He turns back to his camera, and checks the view finder, making sure it's in focus.

"Lila, can you please imagine someone is eating your spaghetti." She makes the expression of eating spaghetti with a chopstick again, and he sighs, deciding to just go with it. Maybe if Gabriel sees the photos, he'll know to never use her as a model again.

The elevator doors _ding_ open and he glances at them briefly, before doing a double–take. Marinette steps through, smiling in greeting at Nathalie. Adrien's bodyguard is at her side, happily munching on some kind of biscuit. Vincent's eyes scan over her dress, and ideas rush through his head. She is _exactly_ what he has envisioned for this photoshoot, and she is wearing the _exact_ colour scheme Gabriel was looking for; monochromatic. He watches Marinette turn her attention to Adrien (who has his back to her) and, of cause, her expression morphs into the _exact expression that he's going for_.

He claps his hands excitedly, before looking back through his camera. Adrien's opened his eyes and is looking at him, without moving his head. Vincent smirks, standing up straight to look over the camera.

"Lila, I'm going to do your individual shots now. Adrien," He waits for the boy to give him his full attention. "Your spaghetti is here."

Adrien frowns, confused, before realisation hits him like a bucket of cold water and he spins around so fast he almost trips. One of the makeup artists tries to intercept him as he rushes past, but he dodges them and practically sprints to Marinette, skidding to a stop in front of her.

"Hey!" He exclaims, beaming at her. He tackles her in a hug, and she giggles, warping her arms around his waist.

"Hey. How's it going?" He pulls back from her slightly, and shifts his arms so they're around her waist.

He makes a face. "Horrible. We've only done two outfits so far."

"Is the other one a suit too?" She refolds his shirt collar, making it sit nicer, before adjusting his tie.

"Yeah, but it's got two pockets." He gestures to the (one) pocket on the suit jacket he's wearing.

"It's double–breasted?" She asks, moving her hands up to his hair.

"Yeah, that's the word." He hums as her fingers glide through his hair, moving it back into his usual style. With all of the moving his head around and flinching, it's gradually fallen into his eyes.

"Dork." She whispers, grinning at him.

He puts his hand over his heart and stumbles backwards. "_Oh_, you do wound me."

She giggles, crossing her arms and cocking her hip. "And that just confirms my observation."

He snorts, reaching out for her hand. She interlaces their fingers as he leads her away from the elevator. "We're going to be a while still, at least another hour." He rolls his eyes and leans down to whisper in her ear. "Maybe even longer, Lila's _terrible_. She doesn't even like spaghetti."

"She doesn't like _spaghetti_?" She gapes at him in shock, and he snorts again, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Who doesn't like spaghetti?" Vincent looks up at this, glancing at the kids.

"Villains. Only people who are evil at heart despise the angle's creation." Marinette rolls her eyes at him.

Vincent's eyes dart over Marinette's dress again (it's even better up close), and he takes note of how well it pairs with Adrien's suit. He turns back to Lila. "Thank you. You can change into the next outfit, please."

He tunes out her flattery, more focused on putting his plan into place. He hesitates interrupting them when he looks back at the kids and takes in Adrien's love–struck expression while she talks to him, seemingly oblivious to the boy's gaze. He watches the boy tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and the smile she gives him is so perfect and adorable and _oh God this needs to be captured on camera_.

He's about to skip the whole 'asking for permission' and 'telling them what's happening' part of his plan (that's just legal mumbo–jumbo, anyway) and just grab his camera when Adrien catches his gaze and smiles at him. He takes Marinette's hand again and they walk over to him.

"Mari, this is Vincent. Vincent, this is Marinette Dupain–Chang."

"Pleasure to meet you." He says, shaking the girl's hand. She smiles at him sweetly, and his fingers itch to take her photo.

"You as well. I remember you took our school photos."

He nods, smiling. "Yes, I lost my memory card and you returned it." She ducks her head, and Adrien glances at him shyly.

"Um, do you know how long this is going to go for?" He asks quietly, glancing at a tablet engrossed Nathalie.

Vincent sighs, glancing in Lila's direction in annoyance. "If it was just you, we'd have finished half an hour ago. We'll be here for at least another two hours, maybe more. We may have to come back tomorrow to finish it." Adrien bites his lip, and he and Marinette share a disappointed look. "Where did your father find Lila, exactly?"

Adrien shrugs, not wanting to go into too much detail. "She goes to our school."

"Ah. You go to school with Adrien as well then?" Marinette nods, and he smiles at her. "Would the two of you be able to help me out? I'm not sure if that last photo setting was working or not, I was too focused on coaching Lila."

Adrien bites his lip, glancing at Marinette anxiously. "Um, what do you want us to do?"

"Just stand how you were with Lila. I may get you to shift into another position if it's not working." He turns back to his camera, pretending to not be focusing on the kids.

"You don't have to do this." Adrien whispers in Marinette's ear, but she shakes her head.

"It's okay; he's not actually taking my picture."

Adrien smiles and takes her hand. He walks her to the mark on the floor, and then instructs her on how to stand before moving into his position, although he keeps his eyes open for the time being.

"Excellent! Adrien, eyes closed please. Your spaghetti isn't here yet, but you are imagining it, aware of its . . . deliciousness. Marinette, honey, can you move your hand as if you're holding Adrien's, but you're not yet touching him? Good, yes. Just like that. Your spaghetti has been taken from you, and is being eaten by someone else. Yes. _Yes_! Excellent!" He grins at them, and Marinette's lips twitch slightly, holding in her smile. He snaps a couple more photos. "Thank you." Adrien opens his eyes and turns to face her as she turns to face him.

She grins up at him. "That was actually pretty fun."

"You think so?" He tilts his head at her. Personally, he's never thought of modelling as something one would do for fun.

"Yeah. It was a little weird though." She shrugs and makes a face. "I don't really like photos."

"You don't?" He grabs her hand and interlaces their fingers. She shakes her head, looking away from him. "How come?"

"I don't know. I just always find something I don't like about them and it ruins the whole thing."

He smiles softly, caressing her cheek lightly so she looks at him. "Well if you're in the photo, I'm sure it's hard to fault it." His cheeks flush instantly, and hers are no better off, but she snorts.

"Dork."


	20. Wow

**Chapter Twenty – Wow**

Adrien shifts anxiously, glancing at the elevator doors every other second. Chloé tries distracting him by betting on which of her parents is going to instigate their traditional public argument ("I think it will be Mummy." "Me too." "No, _you_ can't say it'll be Mummy. That defeats the purpose of the bet!" "We're not even betting anything!" "Oh, _hush_."), but every time the doors open all of his attention goes back to them.

"Adrien, you really need to stop doing that." She says into his ear, both so he can hear her over the crowd, and so their parents don't notice. "Just play it cool."

"I am cool." He says, not taking his eyes off the doors.

Chloé scoffs. "You are the exact opposite of _cool_." Still, when the doors open, she also turns her head to look at them. "When is Kagami getting here?"

"She already is."

"_What_?" He flinches at the sudden volume of her voice in his ear. "Where is she?"

"With her mother. They're making a round of the floor than leaving." The doors open again and Chloé glances at them. A couple she doesn't recognise steps through.

"How do you know that?"

"Father told me." He glances at her briefly, before his eyes return to the elevator's. "What time is it?"

"Adrien, I've already told you ten times, a watch does _not_ go with this outfit." She gestures to her dress (cream, strapless, with a slit, going almost to where her underwear sits, which she keeps trying to close), and Adrien grins sheepishly.

"Sorry."

The elevator doors open again and his head turns towards them so quickly she's concerned he's given himself whiplash. It's only when he finally lays eyes on her that he realises he never thought past watching her walk through the doors.

"Woah." He whispers, trying to take her all in. Even from the other side of the room, he can see that her dress is _amazing_.

"_Damn_," Chloé draws out the word, before whistling in appreciation. "You're going to have to be careful."

"Why?" He barely spares her a glance, too focused on Marinette.

"Because you're going to fall in love with her." Before he has time to fully process her words, she disappears into the crowd.

. . .

Marinette fiddles with her clutch nervously, eyes darting over the faces around her, trying to find someone familiar. She's aware there are eyes on her, and it makes her walk stiffly, all of her insecurities and self–conscious thoughts rising to the surface. If her mother hadn't insisted on her wearing lipstick instead of her usual lip gloss, she'd be chewing on her lip.

She moves towards the wall and tries to blend in with it – not easy when you're wearing a royal blue dress – glancing around her nervously. She recognises a few designers and their partners. She watches their eyes dart over her dress, before they whisper amongst themselves. Whatever they say, their partners agree with them because they nod, glance back at her, and then whisper something back. She ducks her head to avoid their gazes, hoping that either, a. Adrien or Chloé or Kagami or Raymond or even Nathalie rescues her sometime soon, or b. the ground swallows her up, or c. she suddenly becomes invisible. She's already living in a word where superheros and supervillains and akuma's exist, surly she can become invisible too?

She's about to take her phone out and text Adrien (or Chloé or Kagami or her mum) when someone walks up to her. She knows before she sees them that she's saved.

"_Wow_!" Adrien says, staring at her in awe as he arrives at her side. She turns to face him, already grinning.

"Back at 'cha." She reaches up to adjust his tie. "You look incredible."

"It's nothing compared to you. Just . . . _wow_!" He continues to stare at her, and her cheeks flush. She ducks her head, stuttering out a 'thank you'. She glances up at him and his grin widens. "I take it this is another Marinette Original?"

"Yep. I made it last year to wear for a family friend's wedding." She makes a face. "They decided to have all women wear evening gowns at a summer wedding."

Adrien giggles. "That would've been fun."

She huffs, pushing her hair off her shoulder. "Oh yeah. I regretted choosing lace as the main fabric as soon as I got there. It was so _hot_."

He giggles again, taking her hand. "Well, you still look beautiful." He presses a kiss to her cheek, and she smiles at him, booping his nose with hers.

"And you look very handsome, kind sir." She does a little curtsey, giggling.

He bows, not letting go of her hand. "Thank you, princess. Shall we go find Chloé and try to kidnap Kagami from her mother so we can play the ninja game on a deserted floor?"

"We shall."

They make their way through the crowd, giggling the whole way. Marinette is aware of all of the gazes washing over her, but she focuses on Adrien, determined to not let their stares increase her level of self–consciousness. They find Kagami standing next to her mother, looking more board then Marinette's ever seen her, and they sneak up on her.

"_En garde_," Adrien whispers in her ear, and she jumps, spinning around.

A grin breaks out on her face as soon as she sees them. "Hey! I was hoping to see you." She grins at Adrien, before her gaze shifts to Marinette and her jaw drops. "_Wow_! You look incredible!"

"Th–Thank you." She stutters, ducking her head in embarrassment. Adrien squeezes her hand.

"How long do you have until you leave?" Adrien asks Kagami, and she glances at her watch.

"About twenty minutes. Why?" Adrien and Marinette share a glance.

"Do you think you can escape?" He whispers in Kagami's ear, and she smirks.

"What do you think?"

. . .

Chloé almost blows their cover when she finally sees Marinette's dress up close, but a quick '_shh_!' from the three of them shuts her up quickly. Chloé keeps watch, making sure their parents don't notice they're planning their escape (really, she's just making sure Gabriel doesn't notice, because her parents have already started their public argument – which her mummy _did_ instigate), while Marinette and Kagami sneak towards the lift as well as they can while wearing evening gowns and high heels. Adrien distracts his body guard by asking him to keep a lookout for Lila – who has arrived, and is one of the main reasons they are trying to escape even though they only have fifteen minutes until Kagami _has_ to leave.

"My mother is going to be so concerned." Kagami whispers to Marinette, grinning.

"Just say there was a really long line in the bathroom."

"A really long line that lasts an entire twenty minutes?" She raises her eyebrows, and Marinette shrugs.

"Yes?"

Kagami snorts. Marinette glances around them, before calmly walking over to the elevator and pushing the button, keeping her back to the crowd in case Raymond or Nathalie should recognise her. As soon as the lift doors open, Kagami, Chloé and Adrien sprint towards them, the latter pulling Marinette in after him. They collapse against each other, giggling, and Adrien looks through the closing elevator doors in time to see Raymond putting his head in his hands. He can practically hear his groan from here.

"We're not going to get in trouble, are we?" Marinette asks once the doors are closed.

Chloé shakes her head. "No way. If someone asks where we are, we went to the bathroom."

"The bathroom?" Adrien asks, frowning in confusion. "Why would they believe that? It only takes a minute to go to the bathroom." The girls share a look, before dissolving into fits of giggles. "What?" He asks, pouting. He doesn't like being left out of things.

"Oh, Adrien, Adrien, Adrien." Chloé says, shaking her head at him. She giggles again. "You really are naïve."

He frowns. "I'm not naïve!"

"Yes, you are." Chloé and Marinette say at the same time. Kagami nods in agreement as the lift stops and the doors open with a _ding_.

"I'm _not_." He grumbles, following them out of the elevator.

"Have you never watched a chick flick?" Chloé asks, putting her hand on her cocked hip. She raises an eyebrow at him.

"Of cause I have. I'm friends with _you_!" Marinette snorts. "That still doesn't explain the whole bathroom thing." He crosses his arms, glaring at the girls.

"It is a very common stereotype for girls to go to the bathroom together, and in large groups, and it is also statistically proven that, on average, a female has to wait five minutes in a line for the bathroom." Kagami tells him bluntly.

"It's also a safety thing." Marinette adds, and his glare melts off his face (not that he was actually _that_ mad at them or anything).

"Oh."

It's silent for a moment, then Chloé claps her hands. "Are we going to play the ninja game or what?"

"The what game?" Kagami asks, and Marinette giggles.

"The ninja game." She says, as if that explains everything.

"Don't worry, we'll explain everything." Adrien says, patting Kagami's shoulder.

. . .

It's a good thing a watch goes with Kagami's outfit. They only manage to make one lap of the floor before she realises that they only have two minutes to get her back or her mother will come looking for her, and that isn't a good thing.

"That was fun." She says as they step through the elevator doors. The noise of the party makes Adrien flinch, and Marinette squeezes his hand briefly.

"Glad you like it." She says, giving her a hug. "You were definitely born to be a ninja." Kagami snorts.

"Do you want us to walk you back?" Adrien asks, but she shakes her head.

"No, the more time you spend away from the crowd, the least likely you are to run into Lila." She pats Chloé's shoulder awkwardly, before bidding them farewell. They watch her disappear into the crowd.

"I should go see if my parents have murdered each other yet or not." Chloé says, only half–joking. "See you guys later?"

"We'll send a smoke signal alerting you of our whereabouts." Marinette says. Adrien nods in agreement, putting his arm around her waist.

"Cool. I'll keep a look out." She smiles at them before making her way through the crowd.

A hand lands on Adrien's shoulder and he flinches slightly, looking up. Raymond gives him an unimpressed look, and he grins at him.

"Hi Raymond!" Marinette says cheerfully, and his expression instantly shifts from one of annoyance to a soft smile. He nods at the girl, before stepping back and watching the crowd for any threats. "He's a man of many words." She whispers in Adrien's ear and he snorts.


	21. Embarrassing

**Chapter Twenty One – Embarrassing**

In the end, Chloé's father decides to parade her around to show off his little girl to a bunch of old people, and Gabriel insists on showing Marinette's dress off to some top designers after learning that she made it herself. Adrien shuffles next to his father awkwardly, his hand clasped firmly in Marinette's grasp, their fingers entwined. Every now and then, she shifts next to him, and he assumes it's because her feet are starting to hurt in her heels.

"And you _really_ made it yourself?" A designer (Adrien didn't catch his name) says, eyeing her dress in shock.

"Yes, sir." Marinette says politely, but Adrien notices her voice is a little strained. He wonders if she's getting annoyed at all of the attention his father is forcing on her.

"That's incredible! Especially for a child. Personally, I would have gone for a strapless dress rather than an off the shoulder look, but it's still nice." Marinette smiles politely again, shifting her wait from foot to foot. The designer shifts his attention to Gabriel, and Adrien leans down to whisper in her ear.

"Are you okay? We can sit down if you want, you don't have to talk to everyone just because my dad wants you to." She looks up at him and shakes her head.

"I just really need the bathroom." She whispers so quietly he has to strain to hear it.

"Oh!" He quickly starts looking for one, but doesn't see any signs. "There's one in the lobby." He starts to lead her towards the elevators, but a hand lands on his shoulder.

"We're not done yet." Gabriel tells him, and Adrien glances at Marinette anxiously, before deciding to embarrass her for the sake of saving her from embarrassment.

"Marinette needs the bathroom." He murmurs to his father. He doesn't wait for a reply, he simply grips Marinette's hand tighter and leads her towards the elevators at a faster pace.

"Thank you." She tells him, shifting uncomfortably while they wait for the elevator to get to the lobby.

"No problem. You should've said something earlier."

"I didn't need it that bad then." She says, smiling.

The elevator finally stops and they're through the doors before they're even half–way open. The receptionist gives them a weird look as they rush past, but he ignores it. He follows her into the hallway leading to the bathrooms, and leans against the wall next to the entrance to the girl's. He tries not to pay too much attention, but the walls are thin and he hears the toilet stall shut. He starts humming to block out any other noise and moves a little further away.

Marinette feels panic rush through her and she stares down at her underwear in surprise. She quickly checks her clutch, which she had hung up on the door hook, despite knowing she didn't think to bring anything with her. It isn't supposed to arrive for another two days after all.

"Oh no, no, _no_. _Nonononono_." She mutters, and Tikki looks up at her in concern.

"Are you okay?"

"Um . . ." Marinette's cheeks flush, and she shakes her head. "No, _it's_ early." She says, hoping the (_female_) kwami understands what she means.

"What's . . . oh. Right." Tikki turns away from her to ensure her privacy. "Would you like me to summon lucky charm? I might be able to get you something?"

Marinette bites her lip. That certainly is an appealing option, but she shakes her head. "No. I can't rely on you for this. I just need to deal with it myself."

"I'm pretty sure girl's usually help each other out with this kind of thing." Tikki says, but it falls on ears that are in the midst of a self–loathing freak out.

"I should have brought something. Or just worn one. I'm such an idiot." She almost puts her head in her hands, before remembering she's been touching a public bathroom. "Do I have any change in my purse?" Maybe she can buy one from the dispenser.

"No, but I could–"

"No worries, I'll just use toilet paper for now." She pulls the roll until about half of it is in her hand, and wraps that around the base of her underwear, before pulling them up gingerly.

"I don't know how long that will last." Tikki says, concerned. "Toilet paper isn't very absorbent."

"It's okay." She says, in a voice that makes it very clear it is _not_ okay. "It'll be fine."

She picks up her clutch, flushes, and moves to the sink, walking awkwardly to ensure the toilet paper doesn't move or unwrap itself. She washes her hands, and Tikki gives her one last concerned look before ducking into her clutch, letting it shut. Marinette shifts uncomfortably, resisting the urge to adjust the toilet paper, before exiting the bathroom. She almost walks into Adrien.

"Hey. Are you okay?" He wonders if this is what Chloé meant about girls taking longer in the bathroom.

"I'm fine!" She says too quickly, and he frowns.

"Are you sure? You can tell me anything, you know."

She glances away from him and shifts her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. Her cheeks flush, which just confuses him more. "Do you have any change?"

He doesn't have his wallet, but he still checks. "No, sorry. Why?"

Her flush darkens, and she swallows audibly, before leaning in to whisper in his ear. "My period started and I don't have anything." She pulls away from him quickly, staring intensely at the floor between their feet.

His lips part in surprise and his eyes widen. _What does she mean it just started? Can that happen? Isn't it one of those things that you get some kind of warning for?_ He chews on his lip, completely at a loss for what to do. He doesn't even know if the blood comes out like it does from a wound or not. _What if she loses too much blood? Can you bleed to death from a period?_

"U–Um . . ."

Before he can get any further (not that he actually knows what he was about to say) Raymond rounds the corner, expression flooding with relief when he finally finds them (having gone to _three_ other bathrooms looking for them). Adrien glances at Marinette before deciding the best thing to do would be to embarrass her again.

"R–Raymond," He says, practically running over to him. For all he knows there's blood dripping down her legs. "Can you go to the store and get some . . ." This is why he needs to pay better attention in health class rather than just trying to not look embarrassed. He doesn't even know what they're called. "Feminine hygiene products, please?"

Raymond's eyebrows raise slightly, and his gaze shifts to Marinette (who is still having a staring contest with the floor). He nods his confirmation, turning around and briskly walking away. Adrien sighs in relief, walking back to Marinette. He pulls her into a hug and she tenses slightly. He tries not to worry about how much blood she must've lost by now.

"Don't worry. Raymond's getting you something." He tells her, and she groans.

She hides her face in his neck. "You told him?"

"Was I not supposed too?" He _really_ should start paying more attention.

"No, no. It's fine. It's just . . . embarrassing." She pulls back from him slightly and smiles. He shifts his hands so they're resting where the waistline of her dress sits.

"Sorry. I didn't really know what else to do."

She kisses his cheek quickly. "Thank you."

He smiles, about to say something along the lines of 'no worries' (or just say 'no worries') when her gaze shifts over his shoulder and she tenses, gripping his lapels. He follows her gaze and inhales sharply, tightening his arms around her waist.

"Oh no, I can't deal with this right now." Marinette mutters, staring in panic as Lila moves closer to them. Thankfully, she's engrossed in something on her phone and hasn't noticed them. Her head starts to lift from her phone and Adrien panics and does the only thing he can think of.

Marinette lets out a surprised squeak when he leans down and captures her lips with his, but she returns the kiss quickly, releasing his lapels to wrap her arms around his neck. He hears a sharp inhale of breath behind him, but he ignores it and hums when her fingers brush through the hair at the nape of his neck. He pulls her flush against him, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. She pulls back from him slightly, only to tilt her head and kiss him again.

Even though it's only supposed to be so Lila doesn't talk to them (or maybe even recognise them), all he can think is _oh my God her lips are so soft_ and _why haven't we done this more_ and _she's kissing me back! She's actually kissing me back!_ He pulls back from her slightly so they can catch their breath, before he leans back in. She smiles against his lips and one of her hands slides down his shoulder and grips his lapel, the other still entwined in his hair, massaging his scalp. Acting on impulse, he tentatively brushes his tongue against her bottom lip and she gasps, opening her mouth to him.

There's a cough from behind them and a shiver runs up his back. He pulls away from her quickly, looking over his shoulder to meet his father's cold (and if he's not mistaken, a little embarrassed) gaze. Marinette freezes, hand sliding down from his hair to grip his lapels again, and she moves her head to try and hide behind Adrien like the brave superhero she is.

"Hello Father." Adrien says, as casually as one can when caught basically making out with your maybe–girlfriend by your father outside the girl's bathroom.

"Adrien." Gabriel says, stepping towards them. His gaze shifts to Marinette, and she forces herself to hold his gaze. Thankfully he looks back at Adrien after a moment. "Where is your bodyguard? I sent him after you."

Adrien shifts uncomfortably, glancing at Marinette. "U–Um, w–w–well–"

"He went to the store to get me some pads because I started my period." Marinette blurts out quickly, and Gabriel's cheeks flush the slightest bit.

He clears his throat, adjusting his tie awkwardly (if Gabriel Agreste can even do anything awkwardly, that is). "Very well. I expect the two of you to return upstairs once you have . . . sorted yourself out." He turns to leave, but pauses, looking back at his son. "And make sure to make yourselves presentable. We don't need rumours flitting around." With that, he walks away from them, hands clasped professionally behind his back.

Marinette splutters, hiding her face in his neck again. "Oh my God, _oh_ my God."

Adrien runs his hand up and down her back in soothing motions, but he's just working on autopilot. _What the heck?_ He knows his dad doesn't show a reaction to much, but he'd have thought he would at least have some kind of reaction to _this_.

"Oh dear," Marinette says, pulling back from him completely. He shivers at the unexpected loss of her warmth against him. "This is, this is, this is–" She hides her face in her hands and groans.

"Surprising?" Adrien guesses, scratching the back of his neck. "Shocking?"

"I was going to say 'embarrassing', but yeah, that too." She looks up from her hands and smiles at him, and he giggles. Her eyes widen and the smile drops off her face. "Where did Lila go?" She whispers, and dread rushes through Adrien again.

"Oh, um, uh . . ." He glances around them, and she ducks back into the girl's bathroom. She comes back shaking her head. "Maybe she went back upstairs?" He guesses, and she nods, desperately hoping that is the case.

They hear footsteps coming towards them, and they both tense up, looking down the hallway. Raymond emerges, carrying a paper bag, and Marinette sighs in relief. They meet him halfway, and Marinette takes the bag from him with a grateful smile.

"Thank you." Raymond nods, putting his hand on Adrien's shoulder and moving him slightly away from the girl's bathroom. Marinette moves past them, but she pauses in the doorway and looks back at Adrien, smirking. "You may want to wash your face; there's lipstick on your mouth." She ducks inside quickly, and Adrien's cheeks flush.

He swears he hears Raymond snort as he half–walks, half–runs to the boy's bathroom.


	22. Heat Pack

**Chapter Twenty Two – Heat Pack**

Chloé makes her way back over to the elevators. She can still hear her parents arguing behind her, but she ignores it. Watching has only ever added fuel to the already out of control fire. Adrien and Marinette aren't back yet, but she knows they aren't with Gabriel because she saw him leave without them. There is _no way_ he would leave without Adrien when there's press around. She debates whether it would be worth it to just hang out in her room for the remaining hour or so of the gala, and just come down for Gabriel's speech – because her parents want her too, and there will be press, and she would never hear the end of it from Adrien if he has to suffer through his dad's speech and she doesn't. Before she can decide, or even get all the way to the elevator, a figure appears in front of her.

"Hi Chloé! Are you enjoying yourself?"

She glares at Lila, not really in the mood to deal with her. Not while she's hungry, and her feet hurt, and her parents are trying to start World War III, and she's wearing a dress with a slit that ends _way_ too high for her liking.

"Your dress is so pretty!" Lila says, looking her up and down.

Chloé puts her hands on her hips, returning the gesture. "I wish I could say the same for yours." She smiles sweetly.

Anger flickers in Lila's eyes, and she smirks. "You won't be smug for long, Bourgeois." Chloe raises an eyebrow, shifting her weight to one leg and crossing her arms. Lila pulls her phone out of her clutch. "I _really_ do hate to be the one to tell you, but you have _defiantly_ trusted the wrong person. I mean, it's just civil girl–code to not go after someone else's crush, right?"

"I wouldn't have a clue, I zoned out after 'really'." Chloé inspect her nails. It's too dark to see them.

Lila's eyebrow twitches. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

She flips her phone around to show Chloé the screen, and the blonde raises her eyebrow at the video playing. The phone shakes, and then the footage comes into focus. Chloé's expression softens slightly, before she smirks and looks up at Lila.

"Could you send that to me? That is just _so_ cute!" Lila blanches, almost dropping her phone. "They're adorable together, don't you think?"

. . .

Marinette tenses when she sees Lila talking to Chloé, and Adrien squeezes her hand, but continues towards the blonde, determined to not let Lila stand between him and Marinette hanging out with Chloé.

"Um–" Marinette starts, but Lila spins around and storms away from Chloé, her expression pure hatred. Lila's gaze flicks to them, and Adrien pulls Marinette to his side. Lila's expression darkens, and she brushes past them. If she wasn't flush against Adrien's side, Marinette would have fallen over from the impact.

"What was that about?" Adrien asks Chloé.

She smirks at them, her eyes full of mirth. "She just showed me a certain video of the two of you doing a certain physical activity in a deserted hallway."

Adrien feels his cheeks flush and he scratches the back of his neck. "Oh." He glances at Marinette shyly. She looks as embarrassed as he feels.

Marinette swears under her breath. "Was it bad?"

"If you mean did it look like you two were making out in a secluded hallway, yes." Chloé's smirk melts off her face when she registers the mortification in Marinette's expression. "Don't worry, the video only went for about ten seconds."

"We figured it would've." Adrien says, squeezing Marinette's hand in reassurance. She nods, but doesn't look any less embarrassed.

"Where were you guys anyway?" Adrien's cheeks flush again, but Marinette explains what happened with limited embarrassment. "Oh, you could've just come to me. I have pads in my room."

Marinette facepalms. "I didn't think of that." Chloé snorts.

. . .

Kagami glances at her phone when it flashes, but turns back to her book. She only has a page or so to go of the chapter, and she really wants to finish it before she goes to bed. Her phone flashes again, and her curiosity gets the better of her. Holding her place in her book with her finger, she reaches over and picks up her phone, frowning at the unknown number. She's about to ignore it when another message comes through. Once again, her curiosity gets the better of her. She frowns at the video, and scrolls past it to read the messages.

_Looks like Adrien's moved on from you, I guess you weren't good enough for him_, the first one says, and she raises her eyebrow at it. _Seems like Marinette is though, whatever happened to girl–code, am I right?_ Kagami frowns tapping the video. Her heart lets out a dull ache, but she smiles, not really surprised. She's seen the way they look at each other. She smirks, typing out a message of her own.

_They're perfect for each other, aren't they? So cute_.

She's almost certain she hears Lila's scream of frustration as she picks her book back up.

. . .

The second day of the photoshoot is even worse. Whereas before Lila was all over him, she's now adamant about standing as far away from Adrien as possible. Vincent is unable to stop himself from swearing, and he's only thankful that Gabriel isn't watching this time. Nathalie still gives him an unimpressed look, her eyes shifting pointedly to Adrien.

"This isn't working." Vincent says, turning to face Nathalie. "I cannot take photos of the two of them if one of them refuses to even be in the frame." He crosses his arms, exhaling in frustration.

"The photos have to be taken." Nathalie says bluntly, before turning on her tablet.

"I can take individual photos, but not couple ones." He cringes at his word choice, but when he glances at the kids neither seem to have noticed.

"Mr Agreste wants couple ones." Nathalie says, looking up from her tablet to stare at him. Her gaze flicks to the kids and her mouth presses into a firm line. "Photoshop them."

Vincent's eyes widen, before a grin breaks out on his face. "Will do."

. . .

Adrien skips happily up the stairs to the Dupain–Chang's lounge room, holding a plate of cookies in one hand and a cheese breadstick in the other – Plagg's really gotten a taste for them, and even he has to admit they're pretty good (despite the cheese). He pushes the door open and steps through, making a beeline for Marinette's bedroom.

"Mari, it's Adrien?" He says, knocking on her trap door before opening it. She's not in her room, so he goes up to her skylight and looks through, but he doesn't see her. "Marinette?" He calls, despite realising she's not in her room.

He chews on his lip nervously and walks back towards the trap door. He left it open when he came through and, as he looks down towards the kitchen and lounge room, he spots a very familiar pair of legs on the couch. He smiles and goes downstairs, refraining from saying anything when he sees that her eyes are closed. He realises the TV is on and mentally smacks his forehead for not noticing that earlier. He totally just invaded her privacy by going up to her room without her.

He smiles down at her softly, placing the plate on the coffee table. He tears off a chunk of the cheese bread to give to Plagg – who's started poking him impatiently – before setting the rest of it on the plate. Marinette's curled in a ball on her side, with some kind of pillow looking thing resting on her stomach. He shivers as the air–conditioning hits his back – it's still cold outside, but because of the ovens in the bakery it's always hot upstairs – and reaches for the blanket on the back of the couch, covering Marinette with it. As he leans down to tuck it around her shoulders, her eyes blink open.

She smiles at him, reaching up to rub her eyes. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

He smiles, crouching in front of her. "The photoshoot ended. I was wondering if we could hang out." Her eyes start to close again. "We don't have to though, you're obviously tired. Your mum gave me some cookies, and I–"

"I'm not tired." She says, not opening her eyes. If she did, she'd see his raised eyebrow. "I just had some Panadol."

"Oh. Are you okay?"

She blinks her eyes open again. "Yeah, I just have cramps."

He frowns. "Cramps?"

"From my period." She specifies embarrassingly, and his cheeks instantly flush. He glances away from her awkwardly. "I always get them on the second day."

"Is that today?" She nods, her eyes closing again. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No." She opens her eyes again and pushes herself up so she's sitting. She runs her fingers through her hair. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

He grins. "Okay. Which one?"

She points him to the TV stand, and he looks in the cupboard at the stack of movies, settling on one of the original Disney princess movies because he's never seen it. When he shows her his choice, she nods as eagerly as she can while still drowsy. He sets it up, and sits on the couch next to her as the opening titles start, putting his arm around her. She leans against him instantly, using his shoulder as a pillow. She throws the blanket over both of them, before adjusting the weird pillow thing over her stomach. It presses against his side and he jumps slightly at the contact, not expecting it to be warm.

"What is that?" He pokes it.

"It's a rice heat pack. The heat helps with cramps."

"Oh." She cuddles against him more, curling her legs against his. "Can I do anything to help?" He asks, looking down at her.

She tilts her head up and smiles. She doesn't miss the way his eyes immediately flick down to her lips. "This is enough." She wraps her arm around his waist. "You're warm."

He grins and presses a kiss to the top of her head. "Just let me know if you need anything." She hums, absentmindedly running her hand up and down his side.

About halfway through the movie, she suddenly pulls away from him and runs to the bathroom. She comes back a minute later, puts the heat pack in the microwave, and makes them a hot chocolate each despite his protest that he can do that.

"It's fine, really. Besides, have you ever even made hot chocolate?" She tilts her head at him, and he glances away from her, embarrassed.

"No."

She puts the mugs on the coffee table. "I'll have to teach you some time then." He watches her walk back to the microwave. "It's not that difficult, it's similar to making coffee." She turns back to him, cradling the heat pack in her arms like it's a newborn baby. She catches his expression and bites her lip. "You've never made coffee before either, have you?"


	23. Pads and Tampons

**Chapter Twenty Three – Pads and Tampons**

There's a tense atmosphere at school on Monday. Alya and Nino are still broken up, Lila's still acting as if not knowing Kagami and Chloé were aware of Marinette and Adrien's relationship is _their_ fault, and Marinette is on day three and has a blinding headache which Panadol won't help.

"You sure you don't want me to get you something?" Adrien asks for the hundredth time, rubbing her back soothingly.

She smiles but shakes her head, immediately grimacing. "No, it'll just make me drowsy."

"Alya says tea helps her." Nino says, setting his lunch tray down across from her. "I could grab you one."

"No thanks."

Adrien frowns, glancing between his two best friends. "Are periods something that everyone talks about?" Nino and Marinette share a look and snort. Adrien looks down at his lunch, embarrassed.

Marinette pats his knee in sympathy. "It's considered a taboo subject, but Alya's always been very open about it. Nino's just witnessed many conversations revolving around the subject."

Nino makes a face. "_Way_ too many!" He agrees, and Marinette giggles. "Before Alya I thought that girls got to choose when they had their period, or could hold it in or something."

"Definitely can't hold it in." Chloé says, joining them. She smiles at Nino, plopping down next to him. "Sabrina and I went camping once, and–"

"You've been camping?" Nino asks, staring at her in surprise. "Outside?"

Chloé raises an eyebrow at him. "I did say 'once'." Nino grins sheepishly. "Anyway, I was on my period and leaked through my pad, and Daddy just _did not_ get the urgency of the matter of needing a bathroom until it looked like a murder scene on the crotch of my shorts." She rolls her eyes and Marinette giggles.

"I used to think period blood could attract wild animals."

"Same!" She holds her fist out and Marinette bumps hers against Chloé's.

"Wait, it doesn't attract animals?" Nino asks, glancing between the girls.

"It can, but no more than other blood can." Marinette specifies.

"Oh." He takes a bite of his sandwich and chews thoughtfully. "You good, mate?"

Adrien nods automatically. "Yep." He says, far too quickly.

Marinette frowns in concern, putting her hand on his arm. "We can change the subject if you're uncomfortable."

"It's not that, it's just . . ." He stammers something and shakes his head. "I just don't really know a whole lot about . . ." He swallows and trails off, glancing between Chloé and Marinette.

"Periods?" Nino asks.

"Yeah, that and . . . everything else." He feels his cheeks flush and ducks his head.

"Well, if you're hoping we're going to tell you our secrets your sorely mistaken." Chloé tells him.

Marinette snorts, putting her hand over his. He immediately flips his over and interlaces their fingers. "You can ask if you want. If I don't know the answer I can just ask Mum."

Adrien raises his head. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"You won't be." She squeezes his hand.

"You could ask me some things as well. Like, how to help out and what things to buy for your girl so she doesn't bite your head off." Nino smirks at Marinette. She makes a face at him and he giggles.

"You can ask me too." Chloé says. "I don't mind."

"I–I d–don't know–"

"Seriously, what do you want to know?" Chloé asks tilting her head at him. "If I was you, I'd take advantage of this; it's not commonplace for guys to learn about periods in detail."

"Are you sure?" He glances between the girls. Even Nino nods his reassurance.

"You may want to take notes."

Adrien gives him a deadpanned look. "Okay, um . . . I . . ."

"Do you want to know about periods or something else?" Marinette asks, sensing he needs a little guidance.

"There's other things?"

"Yeah, like bras and mood swings and that whole girl–code thing that Lila _clearly_ doesn't get." Chloé says bluntly, taking the lid off her yogurt.

"Oh, um . . ." He swallows, ducking his head. "Does it come out like it does from a wound?"

"The blood?" Marinette asks. He nods. "No, and it's not _really_ blood. It's the lining of the uterus, and the 'bleeding' is the act of shedding it when it isn't used."

"What's it used for?"

"To help make a baby. That's what periods are all about." Adrien flushes at the implication of 'make'.

"If you don't have a period, you can't get pregnant." Chloé says, and Marinette nods in agreement. "The lining of the uterus is what the baby–_foetus_ attaches too."

"How–"

"The umbilical cord. Where your belly button is." Nino says, sensing his next question. He frowns. "Didn't your dad tell you how babies are made?"

Adrien shifts uncomfortably. "He said that a male's sperm has to connect with a female's egg, and that it takes nine months for the baby to be born, but . . ." He shrugs.

"Well, you know how the sperm gets inside the female, right?" Nino's cheeks flush slightly at his own question, but it's nothing compared to Adrien's. He nods hesitantly, and Nino doesn't miss the way he slips his hand from Marinette's grasp. "That's how it starts. After the egg is fertilised, it attaches to the uterine wall – that is, the lining – and from there it grows."

"Anyway," Marinette says, sipping her water to try and cool her own flushed cheeks. "Period blood isn't . . . runny like blood from a wound is. It's more like blood clots."

"Aren't those bad?"

"Usually." Chloé shrugs. "Not for a period though. It's not like we pee the blood out or anything, it comes out like . . ." She trails off.

"Imagine almost dry paint," Marinette says, and all three occupants of the table frown at her. She continues nonetheless. "When paint is almost dry, there are some wet parts and some dry parts. If you were to paint a wall, let if half dry, then spray it with a hose, the paint would come off in clumps. That's what a period is like; the blood comes out in clumps."

"Oh!" Adrien says, grateful she's giving him an explanation he can actually visualise. "So, it doesn't come out all at once?" Both girls shake their heads. "And there's like, times when it's not coming out?"

"Yes; there could be seconds or minutes between the blood coming out, or hours. It depends on the type of flow you have; some people have heavier periods then others. The first two to four days are usually the heaviest though." Chloé smiles at him. "Is this making sense?"

"Kind of." He smiles at Marinette and takes her hand. "So . . . you can't die from blood loss on your period?"

"Not from _just_ your period. If you were to sever a limb as well, you may die of blood loss then." He rolls his eyes at her, but smiles.

"Does it hurt?"

"No," Nino says, adjusting his glasses. "The actual period doesn't hurt."

"That's a relief." Adrien grins at Marinette and she snorts, kissing his cheek.

"Is there anything else you want to know?" Chloé asks, smiling at the two of them. They really are _so_ cute.

"Um . . . what are the things you use called?"

"Like the brand?" Marinette asks.

"No, like the actual . . . thing."

"Oh, you mean pads and tampons?" Chloé asks, and Adrien tilts his head at her.

"Is that where they're called? Pads and tampons?"

Marinette opens her purse and takes a pad out, holding it out to him. "This is a pad. A tampon is a similar shape to the body of a torpedo."

Adrien frowns, taking the pad from her. He turns it over, trying to figure out how one would use it. "How do you use this? And why is it plastic?"

Chloé snorts. "That's the wrapper; you have to open it to use it. It sits inside your underwear."

Adrien finds the opening and slides his finger along it. "Can I open it?" He asks Marinette, and she nods.

"Yeah, you can keep it if you want." She smiles at him sweetly, and he rolls his eyes.

He tears the packet open, cringing at the loud sound. If he wasn't the one opening it, he'd think it was a chip packet or something. He stares blankly at the cotton pad, and gingery runs his finger along it, not surprised to find it feels similar to toilet paper. At least the good kind, not the kind public bathrooms and schools have. His finger hits the square of paper in the middle and he stops.

"How does it go in underwear?"

"Well, I can't show you that." Marinette flushes slightly, and Nino snorts. "But when you pull the pad off the wrapper and take that little square off," She taps the paper. "It's sticky, and then you fold the wings down to secure it better to the underwear so it doesn't slide around or anything."

"Wings?"

"They're like flaps or tabs on the side of the pad that keep it more secure and help prevent leaks." Chloé explains, reaching into her own bag. She passes him what looks like a rolled–up tissue covered in plastic. "This is a tampon."

He holds it in his other hand, comparing the two. He gets the function of the pad, but the tampon? "How do you use this?" He asks, holding up the tampon. At this, Chloé's cheeks flush slightly.

"You put it in the vaginal canal. It catches the blood before it comes out."

"Oh." He stares at the tampon for a moment longer, before passing it back to Chloé. She drops it back into her bag. "Do you use tampons?" He asks Marinette, and she flushes slightly, but shakes her head.

"Only when I swim, but I try not to." She makes a face. "They're a little uncomfortable to get in."

"Can you swim in pads?"

"You can, but it's not as effective, and it's more noticeable." She sips her water and cringes, rubbing her forehead.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to get you some Panadol?" Adrien asks, frowning at her in concern. She shakes her head and sips her water.

"What about some tea?" Nino asks, frowning at her in concern too. "Or some chocolate. Dark chocolate helps, right?"

"That's with cramps. Although chocolate wouldn't be that bad." Chloé says.

Nino rolls his eyes good–naturedly. "I'll be sure to tell your boyfriend when you get one." He turns to Adrien and raises an eyebrow. "Are you just going to hold onto that now?"

"What?" He asks, tilting his head in confusion.

"The pad? I'm pretty sure Mari was joking before." Nino's eyes flick down to his hand pointedly.

"Oh, no." He smiles sheepishly and passes it back to Marinette, who folds it and puts it back in her purse. Truthfully, he'd kind of wanted to keep it in case she ever needed it. Perhaps he should buy some to keep in his bag?


	24. Hidden Signs

**Chapter Twenty Four – Hidden Signs**

Adrien shifts anxiously, glancing between the cupboard and the bathroom door. He can feel the guilt radiating inside him, and Plagg isn't helping.

"If you stay in here any longer, they're going to think something is seriously wrong with you."

Adrien glares at his kwami before taking a deep breath and pulling the cupboard door open. He crouches, shifting the tower of toilet paper aside to see behind it. He frowns. He stands up and checks the draws, but his frown only deepens.

"There's nothing here." He says, disappointedly.

Plagg rolls his eyes at him. "She probably keeps them in her room, or maybe she ran out." He darts around the room, and Adrien glances at the door anxiously again. Being in the bathroom for a long time he can explain, but a kwami? "Why are you even looking for them, aren't they privet?"

"She showed me one at school." He mutters, shutting the cupboard.

"Chloé showed you a torpedo, are you going to go snooping in her bathroom for them too?"

"Tampon. And no, of cause not. Why would I?" Adrien tilts his head at him.

Plagg smirks. "So, you only want to look at Marinette's pads? Not Chloé's or Kagami's or any other girl's?"

Adrien's cheeks flush and he ducks his head, ringing his hands together. "When you say it like that it sounds weird."

"Weirder than you wanting to buy her pads to keep in your locker?" Adrien's flush darkens, and Plagg takes pity on the boy. "It's a nice offer, but Marinette's a smart girl. She'll already have pads in her locker, and in her school bag."

"She didn't have anything at the gala." He argues, but Plagg just shrugs.

"She didn't have her usual bag with her." Honestly, Plagg's surprised Tikki didn't just summon the girl something, it wouldn't be the first time. "And carrying pads around is more of a _boyfriend_ job then a _friend_ job." Plagg smirks at him.

"I just want to keep them in case of an emergency, and I want to get her one's in the brand she always gets them in." He crosses his arms, frowning at his kwami.

Plagg sighs exaggeratedly. "You could just ask her what brand she uses. She said you could ask her any other questions you have about them."

Adrien's eyes widen, and a grin breaks out on his face. "Plagg, you're a genius!"

He scoffs. "Please, tell me something I don't know."

Adrien rolls his eyes, holding his over shirt open for Plagg to dart into. He opens the door to Nino standing outside, fist raised to knock. He chokes on his saliva, and prays the door is more soundproof then it looks.

"Hey, you okay? You were gone a while." Nino frowns at him in concern, stepping aside to let him leave the bathroom.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just . . . Nathalie messaged me. My Chinese lesson has been cancelled for today." She actually told him that over breakfast, but Nino doesn't need to know that.

"Really? That's awesome." He slings his arm over Adrien's shoulder and leads him back to the lounge room, where Chloé and Marinette are eating lunch. "Does that mean you're free this afternoon?" He looks at him hopefully.

"Yeah . . ." He'd actually been planning to see if Marinette wanted to go to the movies with him, or get ice–cream or something. "Do you want to hang out?"

"Only if you have nothing else planned. I know Chris has been missing you, and Mum is always asking after you."

Adrien's smile turns genuine, and he slings his own arm around Nino's shoulders. "Sounds great."

. . .

Chris tackles Adrien's waist in a hug the second he walks in the door, and he crouches down so he's at the younger boy's height, returning his hug with as much enthusiasm as he can manage.

"You're back!" He cries, and Adrien giggles.

"I am." He stands up and Chris claims his hand. He drags him into the lounge room where Nino's setting up Ultimate Mech Strike III. "Hey Nino." Adrien holds his fist out to him and Nino bumps it with his.

"Hey! I would've answered the door, but Chris begged me to let him." Nino grins to Chris, reaching up to ruffle his brother's hair. Chris makes a noise of protest, and pushes Nino's hand away, wrapping his arms around Adrien's leg.

"Can I play with you too?" He stares up at Adrien with puppy dog eyes.

"U–Um–"

"Mecha Strike is more of a big kid game, buddy." Nino says, and Chris pouts.

"I _am_ a big kid." He stamps his foot. "Marinette lets me play!"

"Marinette lets you play Mario Cart, not Mecha Strike." Nino says, but Chris just scowls at him.

"You know Marinette?" Adrien asks, moving to sit beside Nino on the floor. Chris turns his scowl on him briefly, before crossing his arms and turning his body away from them. Nino sighs in exasperation.

"She babysits him, usually with Alya and her little sisters." He makes a face. "She used to." He ducks his head to pick up the controllers.

"I miss Alya too." Chris grumbles, and Adrien looks at Nino anxiously. "Why'd you have to break up?" Chris glares at his brother over his shoulder. "Can't you just kiss and make up or whatever?"

"It's not that simple." Nino mutters, before relenting and passing Chris a controller. He brightens immediately, sitting in between Adrien and Nino. "One game, then Adrien and I need some alone time."

"The same kind of alone time you and Alya need? When you go into your room and shut the door and I'm not allowed to interrupt?" Adrien bites his lip so he doesn't laugh. Nino's cheeks flush.

"No, not like Alya and I need. Needed." He glances at Adrien awkwardly, who grins. Nino rolls his eyes and presses Play.

. . .

In the end, they only play about half a game because Nino's mum decides to take Chris to the park so Adrien and Nino can have some 'big kid time'. Adrien assures Chris he'll still be here when he returns, and that they won't do anything super fun while he's gone.

"You're really good with him." Nino says, returning to the game menu to restart the game.

"I am?"

"Yeah," Nino smiles at him. "You spend time with him, and you make sure he isn't left out." He smirks. "You're a bit of a push over though."

"I am not!" Adrien gapes at him, and he snorts.

"Yes, you are! Love and boundaries go hand–in–hand, dude. You can't have love if one of you is controlling the other." His smile turns sad, and he looks away from him to fiddle with his controller.

"Are we still talking about Chris?" Adrien sets his controller down and turns his body to face Nino.

Nino sighs, setting his own controller down and mirroring Adrien's position. "You love Mari, right?"

Adrien's eyes widen and his cheeks flush. He stammers. "_What_? Wh–Where i–i–is, w–why–"

Nino rolls his eyes. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." Adrien makes a noise of protest. Or panic. "Well, you don't try to control her? You don't make her believe what you believe, or get mad when she doesn't?"

Adrien shifts uncomfortably. "No, of cause not. But we haven't really . . . disagreed on anything." He glances at Nino, who ducks his head. "Why?"

"Part of the reason why I never stood up to Lila when she was hurting Mari was because Alya said Marinette was just crying out for attention and jealous of Lila getting close to you." Adrien blinks, trying to decipher what Nino just said. He'd spoken pretty fast, trying to get it all out as quickly as possible before he exploded with guilt.

"Attention? Jealous?" Adrien shakes his head. "Alya does know who Marinette is right? She _hates_ attention." He found that out pretty quickly in their friendship, it's one of the reason's she doesn't take credit for a lot of the amazing things she does.

"She _can_ be jealous though." Nino says, glancing at him.

"Everyone can be jealous. I'm jealous of you a lot."

Nino frowns. "Why?"

"Because you actually have a family, not a . . . whatever I have." He shrugs. "Why are you so upset about not standing up for Marinette? No one else seems to be."

Nino bites his lip. "Because the way she shut down before you and her became so close . . ." He shakes his head. "I've seen it before. With Chloé. And I didn't do anything then, and I don't want to watch it. Not again." He tilts his head back, blinking back tears. "Alya didn't know her then, she didn't know what she was like, so she hasn't noticed the signs." He shakes his head, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I can't just sit back and watch it." He wipes his eyes again and sniffs.

"What were the signs?" Adrien whispers. He'd noticed she'd gotten a little sadder, and that she didn't speak as much, but he just put that down to her and Alya falling out.

"She started going home for lunch again. She stopped standing up for herself. She didn't protest sitting up the back of the classroom. She stopped doing nice things for everyone just for the sake of doing them. She stopped bringing treats to class." Nino shrugs, scratching the back of his neck.

"Oh my God . . ."

Adrien remembers this. He remembers the disappointment that day about two months earlier when she didn't bring cookies for them, how she started disappearing at lunch and then already being in the classroom when it was over. He also remembers the day Lila claimed to be related to XY; Marinette hardly spared her a glance.

"Oh my God, I didn't notice." He hides his face in his hands.

Nino frowns at him, scooting closer to put his hand on his shoulder. "Why would you? You didn't know her before she and Alya became friends either." Adrien looks up at him. Nino's expression hardens. "The ones who should've noticed are the ones who watched her go through it."

"You mean our classmates?"

"And our teachers." He shakes his head. "I don't understand how they don't know Lila's lying. Her story changes every time she tells it." He rolls his eyes. "When I told Ms Bustier to stop moving Marinette, she said that it's her job to ensure we can all learn to our best abilities, and then I tried to tell her that where Marinette was sitting wasn't helping her learn to the–"

"Wait." Adrien sits up straight, and Nino removes his hand from his shoulder. "_You_ told Ms Bustier the seating arrangements weren't working?"

Nino nods, frowning. "Well, yeah. I–"

"I thought it was just Marinette and I." He runs his hand through his hair, staring at Nino in wonder.

Nino shrugs again, ducking his head. "I hated seeing Lila's smug expression every time Marinette had to sit up the back. And I hated that Alya just didn't seem to care that her _best friend_ was hurting." He makes a face. "_Is_ hurting." He glances at Adrien, every crevice of his face filled with concern. "She is still hurting, right?"

"Yeah," He swallows, scratching the back of his neck. "Not just emotionally or mentally any more either."

Nino frowns, sitting up straighter. "Excuse me, _what_?"


	25. The Plan to Make a Plan

**Chapter Twenty Five – The Plan to Make a Plan**

Adrien and Nino wait out the front of the school for the rest of the gang to show up. It's so early they're surprised the school gates are even open, but that's their plan; get to school before anyone else so they can make a plan without eavesdroppers. Especially in light of recent knowledge being transferred between parties.

"Seriously? Does she not know that that's assault and she could go to jail for it?" Nino fumes, and Adrien puts a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. "I have half a mind to–"

"Physical violence isn't going to help anything." Nino glares at him. "I know it sucks, but the truth is there isn't a whole lot we _can_ do. Marinette doesn't exactly want to talk about it." He shrugs, removing his hand. "Besides, the bruise is almost gone."

Nino smirks suddenly, crossing his arms. "And how would you know that? You said yourself she's been hiding it _under_ her clothes." He raises his eyebrows suggestively.

Adrien's cheeks flush, and he stammers, before punching Nino's arm lightly. "_Dude_! Seriously, I told you i–it's on her arm! W–Why would you even suggest _that_?"

Nino dissolves into a fit of giggles and points at Adrien's still flushed face. He doesn't think he's ever seen his friend so embarrassed. "Oh my _God_, y–you should s–see your face!" He snorts, which sets him off again.

Adrien glares at him, crossing his arms. "It's not funny!"

"It's a little funny!"

"Stop laughing!" Nino makes a big show of calming down. Adrien waits for him to stop snorting before he says anything else. "Right now, all we can do is try to stop it from happening again."

Nino frowns, all humour momentarily gone. "It's already happened twice as far as you know, and then there's the threats." He shakes his head. "It could've already happened again."

Adrien's eyes widen. "Don't say that!"

He sighs. "I'm just saying, dude, you didn't even know Lila hurt her until she accidentally showed you."

"But if she's hurt Marinette again, physically, and we haven't noticed, and she hasn't said anything, then how are we supposed to stop it from happening again?" Adrien runs his fingers through his hair, messing it up. "Why can't everyone just see through Lila's lies?"

Nino sighs, ducking his head. "I don't know."

Before Adrien can say anything else, the boys hear running feet approaching them and barely have enough time to look up before Marinette tackles Nino in a hug, sending them both to the ground. He grunts when his back connects with the grass, and Marinette's arms tighten around him, her face hidden in his neck.

"Thank you!" She says, voice muffled against him. "Thank you _so_ much!"

He frowns, confused, but returns her hug nonetheless. "Um, you're welcome?"

She giggles, the sound tickling his neck, making him squirm. She pulls her arms out from under him and props herself up so they're face to face, her legs still pinning his to the ground. "Thank you for standing up for me."

His cheeks flush and he glances away from her shyly. "It's no problem. I just did what everyone _should_ be doing."

She shakes her head, grinning at him. "But they didn't, and _you_ did." He smiles at her, and she leans down, planting a hearty kiss on his cheek. "Thank you!"

. . .

"We need a plan." Kagami says bluntly, and the rest of the gang nod their agreement. "We need a plan to make a plan."

"Can't we just make the plan?" Chloé asks, raising her hand as if they're in class. Something about Kagami being so serious has made her feel like she needs permission to speak.

"You can't just _make_ a plan." Kagami says, crossing her arms. "You need to have a plan to come up with the plan for making the plan. Otherwise the plan doesn't get executed how it should."

"Wait," Marinette says, also raising her hand. Adrien snorts. "Are we making the actual plan, or the plan to make the plan, or the plan for planning the plan to make the plan?"

"Um . . ." Kagami scratches her head, frowning. "Could you repeat that?"

"Please don't." Nino says, rubbing his temples. "This is confusing. Can't we just come up _the_ plan and worry about the execution later on, after we already have it?"

"We can't do that! When you come up with a plan you need to come up with a plan on how you are planning that plan so you know the plan for when you execute the plan." Kagami huffs, staring at them as if _they're_ the confusing ones.

"I'm lost." Adrien says, and Chloé, Marinette and Nino nod their agreement. Kagami groans.

"Can we just go back to _why_ we need a plan?" Marinette asks, leaning back in her seat, looking like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. "The Lila situation is going much better now."

Adrien raises an eyebrow at her. "Babe, she threatened you in the bathroom. Twice!"

"Three times, actually." Nino says.

"Did you just call me 'babe'?"

"She also threatened to post that video to social media so Adrien gets bad backlash for making out with his girlfriend." Chloé says. Nino shakes his head, rolling his eyes.

"How would that work, exactly?" Adrien asks, tilting his head.

"Because then you're relationship will be blown up for the whole of France to see, and you will never get a moment alone again, especially when they find the photos of you guys at the zoo, and the one's your photographer took, and the one's where _you're_ hiding from Raymond, and _you're_ in your pyjamas." Chloé points her fingers at them accusingly, but there's mirth in her eyes. "I think she wants to put all of this pressure on you guys so you break up."

"But we're not even together." Marinette points out. Chloé resists the urge to smack the two of them on the back of their heads. _How are they _still_ not going out?_

"Lila doesn't know that." Kagami says, tapping her chin in thought. "Neither does the rest of our class, or your father."

Adrien bites his lip. "Yeah, that'd be a bit of an issue."

"What is Lila threatening you with, exactly?" Nino asks, leaning forward to see Marinette past Adrien.

"She's threatening to give Adrien bad backlash so his dad takes him out of school because I'm a 'bad' influence which means we'll never see him again and he'll be miserable and hate me."

Adrien frowns, taking her hand. "I would _never_ hate you."

She smiles and kisses his cheek. "Lila doesn't know that, either."

"I don't know how," Chloé grumbles. "You two are so in love there's basically carton hearts floating around your heads." They flush instantly, and Marinette slowly retracts her hand from his.

"Hearts don't float around the head, that's birds." Nino says, earning him a deadpanned look from the blonde. "You're thinking of when the hearts–"

"_Anyway_," Kagami says, clearing her throat. It is _far_ too early to be debating cartoon hearts and birds. "We need to come up with a plan to stop Lila once and for all."

"Is this the actual plan, or the plan to make the plan, or the plan for planning the plan to make the plan?" Marinette asks, and Nino groans, dropping his head into his hands.

"Oh, _God_."

"The plan to make the plan." Kagami clarifies, moving to lean her forearms against the desk. "We need to figure out our angle, our end goal, and how much time we'll need." She frowns at Marinette. "When did Lila say she's going to release the footage?"

"I'm not sure, she didn't say." She takes her phone out of her pocket and opens her Facebook, taping on the privet message Lila sent her. She passes her phone to Kagami, who reads it cautiously, anger building inside her at every word.

"Okay, first of all, you need to block her." She looks back at Marinette, who nods her head.

"I already did."

"Good. Judging by her actions lately, I'd say she's starting to scramble at straws." She passes Marinette's phone back to her. "She's seen how isolating you has only caused you to form stronger bonds with those she doesn't have control of, which is scaring her." Her gaze flicks to Nino. "Especially when one of those bonds is with someone who _did_ believe her."

Nino shakes his head vehemently. "_No_! I never believed her! I wouldn't!" Adrien puts a hand on his shoulder, and Marinette reaches over Adrien to squeezes his hand. Nino squeezes hers back.

Chloé frowns. "Then why did it take you so long to switch sides?"

Nino ducks his head, and Marinette and Adrien's grips tighten. "Because Alya believes her, and I love Alya. I couldn't just walk away from her." He glances at Marinette, guilt radiating in his stomach, making him feel sick. "But I never agreed with _Lie_–la."

Marinette smiles, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Thank you." She half–climbs over Adrien to wrap Nino in a hug, mumbling in his ear that she won't tackle him again. He snorts, pressing a friendly kiss to her temple.

"That's it!" Kagami exclaims, and Marinette releases Nino, moving back to sit beside Adrien.

"What's it?" Adrien asks, putting his hand on Marinette's knee, stroking circles on her kneecap with his thumb.

"The plan to make the plan! I've got it!" She claps her hands happily, jumping on the spot slightly.

Chloé raises an eyebrow at her, tapping her foot impatiently. "Are you going to tell us or what?"

Kagami turns to her and smirks. "How do you feel about becoming friends with the enemy?"


	26. Phase One Commences

**Chapter Twenty Six – Phase One Commences**

Once the plan to make the plan has been assigned, they move on to planning the plan for the actual plan – this statement basically involves a lot of confusion, and a few muttered swear words until Kagami relents and finally says 'we need to figure out how to execute the plan to stop Lila'. The plan for the actual plan consists of Chloé befriending Alya first, through their mutual love of Ladybug, and then move on to Lila, so she will have a first–person insight into her lies. This will hopefully mean they can obtain enough information to disprove Lila's lies, and reveal her true colours to the rest of the class – in a completely ethical way that does not involve sinking to Lila's level.

"Phase one commencing." Kagami says. They do a group fist bump, their synchronised 'pound it!' making Ms Bustier jump in surprise as she opens her classroom door.

"Oh!" She says, and the kids smile sheepishly.

"We just came up with a study plan." Marinette says, and the others are quick to nod their agreement.

"Speaking of which, I should go to my class." Kagami smiles, picking up her bag. "See you later." Nino pats Adrien's shoulder before moving back to his seat.

"I'll go . . . commence phase one." Chloé says, leaving her bag at her desk. "If all goes well, you won't see me at lunch."

"And if all goes bad, we won't see you at lunch because you know who would have executed you."

Adrien frowns at Marinette. "Voldemort?" She groans.

"Seriously, Adrien?" Chloé asks, raising an eyebrow at him. He grins sheepishly. She rolls her eyes. "See ya."

"Bye." Marinette waits for her to go, before slapping Adrien's arm.

"Hey!"

. . .

Chloé decides to start with an ice breaker. "Did you record the akuma battle last night?"

Alya raises an eyebrow at her. "Why do you care?"

"Because Ladybug is awesome. She may even be more awesome then I am." Alya rolls her eyes, moving to walk past her. Chloé falls into step beside her. "So, did you record it or not?"

"Of course."

"Was it good?" Alya frowns at her. "The akuma fight. Not the video. Your videos are always good, I mean–"

"Why are you talking to me? We're not friends." Alya crosses her arms, regarding the blonde with a suspicious glare.

Chloé waves her hand flippantly. "Maybe not." She forces a smile. "We have more in common than you think."

Alya scoffs. "I'm not a liar."

Chloé feigns a hurt expression, and ducks her head. "I meant we both love Ladybug. She's amazing, right?"

Alya purses her lips. "Of course she is, she's _Ladybug_!"

"Have you met her?" Alya opens her mouth to reply, but hesitates. Chloé tilts her head.

"A couple of times, yeah. We've done a few interviews." She smiles proudly, taking her phone out to open the Ladyblog. She scrolls through her video's until she lands on one. "Marinette organised an interview between us a while ago."

Chloé's eyes widen in surprise and she looks down at the phone. She hadn't known that. "Wow! That's so cool. Is she as amazing as she seems?"

"Better!" Alya beams at her, before realising what's happening and frowning, pulling her phone back. "Shouldn't you be with Marinette or something?"

Chloé glances away from her so she can't tell she's lying. "We're not really friends anymore. If we even were to begin with." She shrugs. "We only really became friends because Sabrina and I fell out because I was jealous of Lila." The lie rolls off her tongue so easily. Alya nods her head in understanding.

"At least _you_ can admit when you're jealous." She rolls her eyes.

Chloé tilts her head. "What do you mean?"

"Marinette is _so_ obviously jealous of Lila, it's pathetic. I even gave her plenty of chances to get to know Lila but she never even put the effort in." She shakes her head, and Chloé frowns without meaning too, protectiveness flooding her heart. She forces the feeling away. "I can't even believe I started to have doubts about Lila because of her."

Chloé's eyes widen, before she catches herself. "You've started to doubt Lila? _Why_? She's so . . ." She just can't bring herself to compliment the lying _harlot_.

"I know, she's . . . indescribable." Alya sighs contently, and Chloé makes a face. "But Marinette has this way of manipulating you to believe what she believes. Lila's experienced it first–hand."

"I know." No, she doesn't. "That's why it took me so long to see her true colours." No, it isn't. She rubs her eyes, pretending to be upset instead of angry. "I feel like such an _idiot_!"

Alya places a hand on her shoulder, expression filled with concern. "You're not an idiot, Marinette's just very good at manipulating others. You should hear what she's made Lila believe." Chloé looks up at her, and Alya shakes her head in disbelief. "Can you believe that Marinette threatened her in the bathroom?"

"_What_?" How _dare_ that harlot turn her assault on Marinette!

"I know! I couldn't believe it either!" She rubs Chloé's arm in comfort. "But going off her recent attitude, it certainly makes sense. I don't see how we were ever friends."

"Neither do I." Chloé coughs to clear her throat, her voice has turned too hollow to be natural.

Alya smiles sadly. "Don't worry, we'll get through to her. That or she'll finally see that Lila isn't a bad person and get over her jealousy." She links her arm through Chloé's and starts leading her towards Ms Bustier's classroom. "Would you like to join us for lunch? Lila went to dinner with Jagged Stone last night and she promised to take plenty of pictures."

. . .

Chloé texts Kagami with the first lie – dinner with Jagged Stone – who immediately texts Marinette, asking if she could somehow find out if that's true. Marinette sends her a thumbs up emoji. Deciding they should keep a low profile at lunch, Nino agrees to stay behind to keep an eye on things, while Adrien and Marinette escape to the park to play the ninja game. Chloé takes up Alya's suggestion and joins the Lila Fan Club.

Lila eyes her suspiciously, remembering their last encounter, but then Alya prattles off the Marinette manipulation story, and her expression immediately turns remorseful.

"I am _so_ sorry you had to go through that. I know she isn't actually a bad person, she's just a little . . . jealous." Lila puts a hand on her shoulder, as if to comfort her, and Chloé has to refrain herself from shrugging her off.

"She is." That's as much as Chloé can bear to say, but it's enough for Lila to get over her suspicions.

"So how was dinner with Jagged Stone?" Kim asks, leaning forward eagerly, beaming at Lila.

"Yes, has he finished the song he's writing for you yet?" Mylène asks. Chloé presses 'play' on the recording app she set up earlier on her phone.

Lila smiles. "Not yet. He said he wants to make it perfect before it gets released, it _is_ a thank you for saving his cat, after all." Rose squeals in excitement. "As for the photos, I'm unfortunately unable to show you them. Jagged surprised me with a photoshoot for his upcoming album art; he's even asked _me_ to design it!"

There's a murmur of 'wows' from the crowd, Chloé joining in a second after the others.

"He did allow me to take one behind the scenes photo though," She smiles, ducking her head as if she's suddenly gone shy, and holds her phone out. Chloé leans forward to see a blurry picture of what _might_ be a selfie of the two of them. "It's blurry to keep our outfits a surprise until the album comes out."

There are more murmurs. Chloé resists the urge to roll her eyes.

"Gosh, you are _so_ lucky!" Rose says, and Juleka mumbles something, seemingly to agree with her girlfriend.

Everyone else starts agreeing and telling Lila how great and lucky she is, and Chloé almost gages at Lila's feigned bashfulness and protest of such comments. Thankfully, she's able to refrain from doing so, and even manages to nod her head along with everyone else when Lila glances her way.

By the time lunch is over, Chloé's boiling with rage and exhausted to the bone. She had _no idea_ how much fun lunchtimes with her actual friends were before now.

. . .

"It's not bad for a first day." Kagami says, and Chloé and Marinette share a look.

"It's still not enough." Chloé says, lifting her phone closer to her to speak into it.

Adrien was able to come to Marinette's house with her and Nino because his Chinese teacher is sick again – the others are starting to wonder if he's actually just ditching him in favour of hanging out with them – but Kagami has a dinner with her mother. She is currently hiding in the bathroom at the restaurant, pretending to her mother that there is a _really_ long line.

"And I don't know how much longer I can do this for; she's horrible, _actually _horrible!"

"You just have to stick it out for a little longer, at least a week." Kagami says, and they hear a door open on her end. She apologises to someone for blocking the door.

"But Kagami, you didn't hear her! Or Alya! She's turned the whole assault thing around on Marinette." There's a tense silence over the phone, and Marinette looks up from her sewing – she's finished both her own, her mum's and Adrien's raincoats, and has moved onto Kagami's, since she isn't with them.

"Lila doesn't have any proof of any so–called assault; we do. You did take the photo, right Marinette?"

Said girl sighs. "Yep. I don't know how much help it'll be; it just looks like any other bruise."

"Keep it anyway, and make sure to take any pictures of any new ones if you get them."

Adrien looks over at the phone, frowning. "Please don't say that, Kagami."

"I'm just making sure we're prepared." The tense silence continues, and Marinette continues sewing the inner pockets onto the raincoat.

"What do we have so far?" Nino asks, leaning into Marinette so he's closer to the phone. Chloé turns it so the speaker's facing him.

"Well, there's the whole saving Jagged Stone's kitten thing, the dinner story from today, on top of the photoshoot, album design and song. Then there's the old ones; meeting that prince, all of those trips, her 'diseases'." She scoffs, and Marinette smiles.

"You forgot the napkin thing."

"Right, that thing." They can almost hear Kagami's eyeroll.

"What about her and Ladybug being friends?" Chloé asks, turning the phone back to her. It was one of the things Alya boasted about, and one of the most popular subjects on the Ladyblog; Alya's done many interviews of Lila talking about her friendship with Ladybug. "Is there a way we could figure out if that's a lie or not?"

"I . . . I'm not sure. I don't really know Ladybug." Kagami says awkwardly, and Chloé bites her lip, thinking about the three times Kagami was akumatised. She's no more in Ladybugs good book's then Chloé herself is.

"Hey Marinette, Alya said something funny today." Chloé says, turning to her.

"Was it the joke about her ship sailing?" She glances at the blonde, a smile tugging at her lips, before looking back at her work.

Chloé rolls her eyes good–naturedly. "_No_. She mentioned an interview with Ladybug that you organised." Adrien looks up at this, shock evident in his expression.

"O–Oh, right." Marinette clears her throat and sits up straighter. "We kind of kept in touch after the Evillustrator incident. I accidently deleted a recording of a video Alya had taken of Ladybug, and I couldn't get it back, so I traded treats from the bakery for another interview with Alya." She shrugs, running her thumb over the end of her needle. "Turns out Alya had already posted the video she showed me to the Ladyblog, so I didn't _really_ have to go to the effort."

"Wow," Kagami says, and Chloé jumps, almost dropping her phone. She'd forgotten Kagami was with them over the phone. "So, you could say the two of you are friends?"

"I guess so? We don't really hang out or anything, she sometimes just comes by for some treats to keep her energy up." She shrugs again, and digs the needle into her thumb on accident. She cringes and puts it in her mouth, sucking to stop any blood from coming out.

"That's pretty cool." Nino says, bumping his arm against hers, before turning to Adrien with a smirk. "Isn't your girl cool, Adrien?"

"Yeah," He smiles at her, and the glimmer in his eyes reminds her of someone, but she can't quite place it. "Is that how you alerted her when Juleka's mum got akumatised?" She nods.

"Are you still in touch?" Kagami asks, an additional phase to the plan forming in her head.

"I suppose so, why?"

"Do you think she'd be willing to do an interview to debunk some of Lila's lies?" Marinette chews on her lip. "Maybe Cat Noir too; he's her partner and is bound to have had some kind of Lila–lies experience."

"I'm sure he'd be willing to help out." Adrien says. He uses the excuse of returning to his work to hide his Cat Noir smile.

"Y–Yeah, maybe? I'd have to ask her." She pauses, and she glances at her purse sitting on the coffee table in front of her. "And trade her _a lot_ of treats."


	27. The Interview

**Chapter Twenty Seven – The Interview**

"I know it isn't ideal Tikki, but it will be the only way to stop her lying about Cat and I." Tikki sighs, looking from her holder to the plate of cookies she's being bribed with. "I'm not going to go on a power trip and debunk all of Lila's lies, I'm just going to discuss the facts in evidence. I won't even mention our first meeting unless is comes up." Marinette gives Tikki her baby doll eyes, and she sighs again.

"Fine. I don't approve, but I understand Lila needs to be stopped." Marinette beams at her, and pushes the plate of cookies closer. Tikki rolls her eyes, but smiles. "If you can find a way to talk to Cat Noir, as Ladybug, then it should be fine provided you don't offer up any more information than is required, and what can be proven with evidence."

"You mean like witness accounts and security cameras and news footage?" Marinette asks, standing up from her desk chair to put Kagami's finished raincoat on her dressmaker's dummy.

"Yes, evidence that proves you and Cat Noir aren't just siding with the minority, and you're 'friends." Tikki giggles, making air quotes. "Perhaps you could get Ms Chamack to do the interview, in exchange for free babysitting."

"She'd probably just do the interview for free; an exclusive interview with Paris's superheroes . . ." She rolls her eyes. "Do you think I should go to her as Ladybug or as Marinette?"

"I'm not sure, if you go as Marinette, she'll see it as a favour and may be less inclined to be suspicious of the circumstances, but Lila will be sure to figure out that you were the one who asked Ms Chamack to do the interview–"

"And make everyone believe that I somehow coerced Cat and I to 'lie' in the interview to make her look bad." She shakes her head. "But then I also contacted Jagged Stone, and if I contact too many people in such a short span of time, and they're all trying to debunk Lila's lies, then she'll think I'm setting her up and we're back to square one." She collapses onto her chaise. "There's just no way around it."

"Your whole school knows you know Jagged Stone, and quite a few of your classmates know that you babysit Manon, so those could be easily explained." Tikki says, finally relenting and picking up a cookie.

Marinette sighs. "Lila will still say she's being ambushed."

"So, let her be ambushed." Tikki mutters, but Marinette hears her and raises an eyebrow.

"What happened to 'this is a really bad idea' and 'you're giving Lila what she wants' and 'it may just make everything worse'?"

Tikki gives her an unimpressed look. "I still think all of those things, but I do agree with you. Lila has to be stopped, and sooner rather than later." She shakes her head sadly. "If she hurts you again then I'll have no choice but order Plagg to cataclysm her."

Marinette snorts, but gets up to kiss Tikki's head. "Thank you."

. . .

Cat Noir lands on the roof where Ladybug's already waiting. He's been anxiously waiting for her call all evening, knowing Marinette would get in touch with her shortly after they went home.

"Hey LB." He says, bowing for her as he always does, although now it's just to make her smile.

She rolls her eyes, but smiles. "Hey, I didn't drag you away from anything did I?"

He shakes his head. "No, I was just doing some homework. I was surprised when you called though." He tilts his head at her, and she sighs, turning her head to look out at the city. He follows her gaze.

"Do you remember Marinette? Marinette Dupain–Chang?"

"Yes, of course." He can't help but smirk slightly. "My not–so–secret admirer." Ladybug snorts. "What about her?"

"She's had a bit of trouble lately. With Lila." She crosses her arms, and he resists the urge to say 'more than a bit'. That would be a little too obvious.

"Oh?"

She sighs, and glances at him. "Her friends have come up with a plan to try and debunk her lies, and it involves us." She tilts her head in question. "She was thinking of an interview. With Nadja Chamack."

"She knows Nadja Chamack?" Yet another thing he wasn't aware of.

"She babysits her daughter, Manon."

"Oh," He tilts his head at her, frowning. "How do you now that? Are you guys close?" Marinette didn't hint at her and Ladybug having discussed anything personal, but then Marinette isn't the one hiding behind a superhero's mask.

"Not . . . really. We've talked a couple of times." She pauses and bites her lip. "Our civilian selves are quite similar; we're both on the more . . . socially awkward side."

Cat Noir's eyes widen. "_You're_ socially awkward?"

She shakes her head, but a smile tugs at her lips. "I'm not that similar to Ladybug outside the suit." She tugs on her pigtail, and Cat Noir's immediately reminded of Marinette. He pushes the thought away.

"So . . . what exactly are we being interviewed about? Besides, just Lila?"

Ladybug looks back at him, holding his gaze. There's more light in her eyes then there has been in a while. "Does that mean you're in?"

He smiles, looking out over the city towards Marinette's house. "Yeah, I'm in."

. . .

Nadja smiles at them, shifting in her seat slightly. She clears her throat, looking down at the paper with the list of questions the superhero's have given her. When she looks back at them, her smile is even wider. Ladybug looks at Cat Noir and mouths 'she's nervous'. He nods his agreement.

"So, how do you know Marinette?" Nadja asks, smile finally turning more natural.

"We met at the Evillustrator incident, and kind of kept in touch. She gives me treats to help me restore my energy after a battle." Ladybug says calmly, having come up with an answer for that said question prior to arriving at the studio.

"She's also alerted us of an akuma's presence before, since many of them happen around her neighbourhood and school." Cat Noir adds, and Ladybug nods her agreement.

"But this interview isn't about Marinette. In fact, I don't want you to even mention she arranged this as a favour." Ladybug says, leaning forward. Nadja nods immediately. "There's a girl at her school who is a pathological liar, and when she is called out on those lies, as Marinette has done, it never ends well."

"It often results in an akuma." Cat Noir adds, leaning forward as well. "Which, despite the increase in news coverage, I'm sure you can agree isn't a good thing." He tilts his head at the reporter.

"No, it isn't." She clears her throat again and glances down at the paper. "So which question do you want me to start with? 'Is it true that you and L are very close friends, and that she knows your identity?'." She glances Ladybug. "Is that true?"

"No."

"What about 'Did L lie about being injured during the Oni Chan battle?' She _lied about being injured during the Oni Chan battle_?"

"Afraid so." Cat Noir says, shaking his head in disgust.

"Like I said: pathological liar." Ladybug smiles sadly. "We don't mind what order you do the questions in, we started writing them in chronological order, but then we missed a few and realised that some kind of follow up with each other, so it's entirely up to you."

Nadja rereads the questions, and puts a number beside the main one's in the order she wants to discuss them. She rereads the new order, making sure they flow well, before looking at the camera man and giving him a nod, letting him know they can start filming. Ladybug and Cat Noir sit straight in their seats, taking on a professional stance.

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news! I am Nadja Chamack. Tonight, I have two very special guests with me: Ladybug and Cat Noir!"

They give an awkward wave to the camera, and Cat Noir winks.

"Our favourite superhero's have agreed to do an interview with me this evening, following up some events that have taken place as of late."

Nadja smiles at them, and they smile back as well as they can manage. Battling akumas and saving Paris is one thing, but doing an interview that's going to be posted to the TVi website is a little out of their comfort zone, although Cat is faring much better than Ladybug is.

Cat Noir realises that's when he's supposed to jump in, and he jolts slightly, sitting up even straighter. "During our battle with Oni Chan we encountered a civilian we had dealt with before. For the sake of ensuring her privacy, we will not tell you her name, we will simply refer to her as L. Li–_L_ is someone whom we met recently, when we thought she was a fellow superhero." Ladybug stiffens slightly, and he cringes. "Well, _I_ thought she was a fellow superhero, LB had her doubts, and rightly so. After all, superheros don't tend to just show up out of the blue." His eyes widen and he gestures with his hands widely. "I–I mean, we did, but, not usually, and–"

"Why don't we start this again." Nadja says, and he nods gratefully.

"Yes please."

"Try not to be nervous. This isn't live, we can edit out any stammering or stumbling of words you say." She smiles at them encouragingly.

"Maybe don't mention the 'superheros coming out of the blue' thing." Ladybug says, and he grins sheepishly.

"Right. Yes. Good idea." He clears his throat.

"Would you like some water?" Nadja asks, and he shakes his head.

"No thank you, there's just . . . there's a fair bit depending on this going well, and not being . . . misinterpreted."

Nadja frowns in concern. "If it helps, I do know the girl you're referring to. Lila Rossi, isn't it?"

Ladybug's eyes widen. "You know her?" _Oh, please don't say she's done an interview too_.

"Well, I haven't met her, but I certainly know _of_ her. Some of my daughter's friends have been babysat by her, and their mothers tell me that she tells them stories and promises them things that simply cannot be fulfilled." She shakes her head. "Marinette's mother has also spoken to me about some of the lies she's told Marinette."

"Mu . . . Marinette's mother knows about Lila?" Ladybug asks, hoping no one noticed her slip–up. "She was positive she wasn't aware."

Nadja smiles cunningly, and winks. "Mother's know everything about their children."


	28. Jagged Stone

**Chapter Twenty Eight – Jagged Stone**

Friday morning arrives and both interviews go live on their respective websites; Nadja's one with Ladybug and Cat Noir, and Jagged Stone's one where he talks about the rumours about a new album, and whether or not he has ever had a cat (he hasn't). Marinette, Adrien, Nino, Chloé and Kagami all agree that it would be best if they dress like ninjas, so they can slink away easily when everything goes haywire. Their hideout is Marinette's house (because she has food and Ultimate Mecha Strike III and she lives the closest), and her parents have bene prepped for the emergency.

Once again, they arrive early and wait in Ms Bustier's class until she arrives, when Kagami bids them farewell (and good luck) before moving to her own class, and Chloé goes in search of Alya to 'reveal' the Ladybug and Cat Noir interview right before the bell so she begs Ms Bustier to watch it, and since Ms Bustier _loves_ Ladybug, she will allow it. Hopefully. They're not sure how they'll convince her to let them watch the Jagged Stone interview, but they're hoping peer pressure will be enough.

"You guys ready?" Nino murmurs as the rest of their class make their way into the classroom.

"No." Marinette says, scooting closer to Adrien so she can hide her face in his neck if it gets bad. She grabs his hand tightly.

"It'll be fine." Adrien says pressing a kiss to her cheek, but inside he's freaking out as well. "And if not, I hear Norway is very nice this time of year." Nino snorts.

They hear Alya before the see her, and when they do see her, the three of them scoot back in their seats, as if that'll put more distance between them and Alya on a Ladybug fangirl rampage. Chloé shoots them a look that could only be described as 'help me' as the Ladyblogger keeps a death grip on her wrist.

"Maybe we should've warned Chloé." Marinette says to Nino, glancing back at him briefly, and he nods his agreement.

"Nah, she's fine." Adrien says, earning him a slap to his arm and a smack to the back of his head. He snorts.

"Please! Please! Please!" Alya begs, holding her hands together in front of her as if she's praying. "This may be one of those exclusive interviews that's only available for a couple of hours. _We can't miss it_!"

Chloé, having been able to get her wrist free when Alya started needing both hands to gesture widely, sidesteps to her desk, where she sits on the edge of her seat. Before she can even look at Marinette, Adrien and Nino, Lila leans into her personal space and starts interrogating her. The action actually reminds Marinette of her and Alya's friendship in regards to Adrien.

"Please go to your seat Alya, and let me mark the roll." Ms Bustier finally manages to say over Alya's begging, and the Ladyblogger huffs, but does as she's told. Ms Bustier goes through the roll, and is pleased to see that everyone is in class. She looks out over the class, and her eyes shift between Chloé, Nino, Adrien and Marinette, before she looks down at her tablet, smiling to herself. Nino, being the only one who noticed, leans forward to whisper in Adrien and Marinette's ears.

"I think Ms Bustier knows what's going on."

Adrien and Marinette look back at him. "How can you tell?" Adrien whispers, glancing nervously at Alya (who is staring intensely at Ms Bustier as if she has the force to make her put the interview on).

"She looked at us and smiled."

Marinette's eyes widen and she turns back to face the front. The boys follow her lead. Marinette's free hand slips inside her purse and Tikki nuzzles against her palm.

"This lesson," Ms Bustier begins, and Alya leans forward in her seat, eyes widening even further. "I had originally planned for us to go through the process of deconstructing a poem." Alya deflates instantly, gaping at Ms Bustier. "However," She smiles at Alya. "I too would like to see the interview."

Alya squeals in excitement, and a murmur runs through the class while Ms Bustier brings the interview up on the screen. Chloé sneaks a glance at Nino, Adrien and Marinette, and they share a nervous look. The video starts, and Ms Bustier switches the lights off.

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news!"

Marinette's grip tightens on Adrien's hand throughout the interview (which, especially with the security camera footage edited in to prove that Ladybug and Cat Noir's stories check out – Lila's face being blurred to maintain her privacy – looks incredibly legit, and almost like a documentary). Chloé nervously glances between Lila and the interview – she, after all, hasn't seen it either – but her expression remains pretty much the same until they mention the battle with Oni Chan, when she pales immediately, before anger burns in her eyes. She clenches her fists, glaring daggers at the on–screen Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Alya, like the rest of the class, doesn't recognise who 'L' is, and she squeals excitedly when the Ladyblog is mentioned a couple of times, in relation to how the superheros 'found out' about the pathological liar's apparent friendship and many heroic behaviourisms. This earns her a murderous look from Lila, but it goes unnoticed by everyone except for Nino, who makes the unfortunate mistake of glancing her way. He shivers, ducking his head quickly. _If looks could kill_ . . .

"_Oh my God_, that was _so _amazing!" Alya squeals when the interview ends.

Ms Bustier pauses the video before it can go to the next segment. The rest of the class murmur their agreements, and start gushing about how amazing their heroes are. The question of who 'L' is is raised, but Ms Bustier shuts down the conversation quickly, confining to Nino that she does know _exactly_ what is going on.

"That was quite interesting." Ms Bustier says, smiling at the class.

She catches the eye of Adrien and Marinette again, the latter of whom is almost hiding behind the former at this point, and sends them a wink. Adrien's eyes widen in surprise, before he turns to Marinette and whispers something.

"I was actually hoping we could watch the Jagged Stone interview as well. I heard it's about his new album." She brings the second video up quickly.

"_Lila_? Is that the album you're designing?" Rose asks excitedly.

"Are we getting a sneak peek?" Max asks, leaning forward in his seat to try and catch her gaze. She sinks lower in her seat. "Will we get to hear the song?"

"Are you in the interview?" Alya asks, noticing her movement. "You don't have to be embarrassed, I'm sure you did wonderful." She beams at her, but Lila sends her a murderous glare. Alya leans back in her seat, expression changing to one of hurt and confusion instantly. She catches Nino's gaze and he smiles slightly, before looking away from her.

The first half of Jagged Stone's interview is like any other; he talks about his fans, Fang, Penny, and how much he hates XY. Nino chews the skin around his fingernails nervously, and Adrien jiggles his foot anxiously until Marinette presses her leg firmly against his. Tikki nuzzles her palm every time she feels the girl tense up. Chloé chews on her bottom lip, glancing between the interview, Lila, and her escape route (the door) as subtly as she can. She is the closest to the firing range, after all.

"So, I've heard a rumour that you're creating a new album." On screen Nadja remarks, and Jagged raises an eyebrow, but smiles.

"Well, fancy that. I just signed the contract this very morning."

Marinette frowns, and she looks at Adrien questionably. He shrugs, glancing back at Nino, who shakes his head. They glance at Chloé, but she looks just as surprised and confused.

"That is interesting," Nadja says, and Marinette frowns. There's something about her tone, it's too high, too happy. _What is going on?_ "Are we expecting a sneak peek of the cover art?"

Rose squeals in excitement, clapping her hands. "This is it, Lila!

Said girl sinks even lower in her seat, her expression a mixture of pure hatred and the hope that a tunnel will appear under her desk that she can crawl through.

"You'd have to ask her." Jagged winks, and Nadja laughs.

"Can we ask who is designing the cover art?" The class looks at Lila excitedly.

"Of course, it's my favourite rock and roll designer, Marinette Dupain–Chang!"

"_What_?" The whole class asks simultaneously, Marinette included. She stares, eyes wide, at the on–screen Jagged Stone.

"You are?" Adrien asks.

"I am?" She asks.

"I mean, I haven't _asked_ her yet." Jagged says, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair.

"Will you before this goes live?"

"Yes, I've made arrangements with her parents to visit her at her house on Saturday." He smiles happily.

There's a beat of silence. "This goes live on Friday morning."

He stares at her, eyes wide. "Oh. Never mind then." He smiles and winks at the camera. "I'll _apologise_ for not asking on Saturday."

Marinette rolls her eyes fondly, and Adrien smiles, sharing a look with Chloé. The blonde snorts, but quickly turns it into a cough. Nino, leans forward and pats Marinette's shoulder in congratulations, beaming. Even Alya manages a small smile, not that anyone sees it.

"Well, let's hope she doesn't see this then." Nadja says, her voice taking on the same tone from earlier, and Marinette realises why it confused her; Nadja and Jagged had clearly planned this. Nino murmurs about the irony of this situation, and a few giggles murmur through the class. "I have one last question; there's been another rumour flitting around that you own a cat as well as . . . Fang. Is that true?"

Jagged makes a face. "Lord no! Fang's the only pet for me, in fact, I've never even had another pet beside Fang."

It takes a moment, but then it's like the penny has finally dropped. Suddenly, everyone's eyes are on Lila, and their gazes range from confused to the out–right angry as Ladybug and Cat Noir's interview starts to make sense to them as well. Lila sinks lower in her chair as Chloé, Nino, Adrien and Marinette stand up simultaneously, and walk out of the classroom as calmly as they can. Ms Bustier even opens the door for them.

They manage to keep their laughter at bay until they reach the stairs, and then it bursts out of them like a firecracker. They laugh so loudly and so freely, the weight that had been unknowingly suffocating them finally lifting off their shoulders, that they almost don't hear the commotion going on inside Ms Bustier's classroom.

One could say that the blindfolds have finally been removed from their classmates faces, and Lila's true colours have been revealed thanks to a ladybug, a black cat, a rock and roll legend, and a group of ninjas.


	29. Rock and Roll

**Chapter Twenty Nine – Rock and Roll**

As soon as Kagami hears their laughter, she gives the note she forged from her mother, saying she has a dentist appointment, to her teacher and runs out of the classroom to join Marinette, Adrien, Nino and Chloé as they make their way down the stairs. She beams at them, running over and tackling Marinette in a hug, starting to laugh as well.

"I am _so_ mad I'm not in your class!" She exclaims pulling back from her, but keeping a grip on her shoulders. "How was it? Did she freak out? Tell my _everything_!"

Adrien snorts and wraps an arm around Marinette's waist. "_She_ didn't freak out, but I think everyone else is."

Chloé nods in agreement. "It was both amazing and terrifying sitting right next to her." She giggles, and Kagami grins, before taking in Marinette's expression, and frowning.

"Are you okay?"

Marinette jumps slightly and blinks at her, as if she was lost in her thoughts. "Y–Yeah, fine mine, I–I mean I'm fine." She grins briefly.

Adrien frowns. "Don't lie, babe. You're not good at it." He grins at her glare.

"You called her 'babe' again!" Nino says, grinning and pointing at Adrien childishly.

Before Marinette can say anything (going off her track record, she was probably going to deny anything is wrong), Chloé bumps her hip against Marinette's, before looping her arm through Kagami's, much to the girl's surprise.

"How about we ninja our way over to our hideout before we delve into the conversations?" She says, smiling. She slips her free hand into Marinette's grasp, and Adrien and Nino sling their arms around each other's shoulders, creating a human chain. "And don't think that means we're going to forget about you're lack of being okay." She scoffs. "We're not _total_ idiots."

"Just, somewhat." Adrien says, earning him four pairs of eye rolls.

"To the hideout!" Chloé exclaims, pulling their group forward.

"Chloé," Nino says, frowning at the her good–naturedly. "The point of a hideout is that no one knows there's a hideout. Keep it on the down–low, dude!"

"We're also ninjas." Marinette says, almost tripping over her feet in her effort to keep up with Chloé's pace. She learnt early on that the promise of food was enough to make Chloé do exercise. Especially if it's her parent's food.

"Yeah, discrete is our middle name." Kagami says, earning her a deadpanned look from the blonde.

"Yeah, well . . . annoying is yours!"

It's a good thing Raymond isn't waiting for them, because they do a disastrous job of being discrete. Firstly, Nino has never played the ninja game so they have to teach him – not a big deal, since they're still making it up as they go and changing things up every day (after a couple of cases of scaring a few people who weren't aware of the ninja game taking place around them, hiding behind people is now no longer an option) – then Kagami forgets that her middle name is discrete and tries to walk down the stairs instead of jumping onto the grass, then they can't stop laughing because Chloé is bad at insults, and Kagami forgets her middle name, and Nino has no clue how they started playing this (incredibly awesome, _why are they only showing him this _now?) game, and they just defeated the second–biggest villain in Paris (without sinking to her level), and for the first time in _ages_ they're weightless.

Tom and Sabine don't even blink an eye when they stumble into the bakery, much like Adrien and Marinette did their first time playing the ninja game, but they do tilt their heads when they realise they're all wearing head to toe black – save for Nino's hat.

"Was it dress up day, today?" Tom asks, scratching his head, which makes the flour on his hands fall into his hair.

"No, Dad." Marinette says, bounding over to him to kiss his cheek in greeting. She returns the favour with her mum.

"We're dressed as ninjas." Adrien says, as if that's obvious, grinning broadly.

"Oh, I see." Tom says, still completely lost.

Sabine smiles at her husband, before ushering the children–_ninjas_ upstairs, where she's laid out a spread of treats for them on the coffee table. They drop their school bags by the stairs to Marinette's room and collapse onto the couch, pressed up together because it isn't really meant for five people, and take in the treats displayed in front of them. Who knew vengeance worked up such an appetite?

"So, do your parents know about Lila?" Kagami asks, covering her mouth with her hand because she's still chewing her macaroon.

"Yeah. Mum found out first, and she told Dad." Marinette glances at her briefly before looking down at the cookie in her hand.

"What did they say?"

"Um . . ." She bites her lip and shrugs.

"You can tell us, Mari." Nino says, reaching in front of Adrien to pat her knee.

She smiles at him briefly. "They asked why I didn't tell them, and then they asked who knew . . . and then we had a family hug . . . and we cried." She leans against Adrien's side and he wraps an arm around her automatically. "And then we had homemade pizzas for dinner." Adrien snorts, and Chloé and Kagami giggle. Nino frowns.

"What am I missing?"

. . .

Marinette waits in the lounge room, jiggling her legs nervously and biting her lip. Tikki tries to distract her with stories of previous Ladybugs (and a few stories from Plagg, such as why Atlantis is no longer above water), but they fall on deaf ears as Marinette tries to keep her anxiety at bay. It's not that she's nervous to see Jagged Stone, it's just that her confidence has hit an all–time low these past few months; besides the raincoats (which she only needs to get the respective owners to try on to make sure they fit perfectly before she can declare them done) she hasn't really designed anything.

She hears the bell over the bakery door chime, and then the unmistakable excited voice of Jagged Stone himself. Hearing his cheerful and overeager voice floating up to her helps calm her nerves and she manages a smile. Tikki presses a kiss to her cheek and tells her 'good luck' before diving into her purse. Marinette takes a deep breath, before walking down the steps to the bakery.

"There's my favourite rock and roll designer!" Jagged exclaims as soon as he sees her.

Marinette giggles, allowing him to wrap her in a bear hug. "Hi Jagged! How are you?"

"Amazing!" He releases her, but keeps his hands on her shoulders. "Did you see my interview? It was incredible, wasn't it?"

"It was, although you could've mentioned me designing your new album cover earlier." She smiles, and he rolls his eyes fondly.

"That'd take the fun out you finding out with the rest of your class." He waves his hand dismissively.

"How'd you know I was watching it in class?"

He gives her an unimpressed look. "Contrary to what you young people believe, I'm not as dumb as I look." She giggles. "Besides, the reporter news lady–"

"Nadja Chamack."

"–mentioned a certain interview with Ladybug and Cat Noir about a certain pathological liar in your class." He smirks at her. "I put two and two together, and here we are." He grins.

"Here we are." She smiles at him, before glancing past him and frowning. "Where's Fang? I was hoping to see him."

"Penny said to leave him at the hotel." He glances at her parents (who are trying and failing to look like they're not eavesdropping), before leaning closer to her and whispering as if he's sharing a major secret. "But I brought him anyway, and told him to wait in the car."

She grins. "Hopefully he hasn't scared the driver." She whispers back.

A mischievous glint brightens Jagged's eyes, and he grins. "Only if he notices." Marinette snorts, and Jagged's grin broadens. He stands up straight. "Now, about the new album. I would love it if you were able to use the same sticker as last time, that leather and sweat smell–" He hums excitedly. "_Totally_ rock and roll!"

"Definitely. I still have the original plans for them, so it won't be an issue at all." She grins, excitement bubbling inside her.

"Great!" He removes a USB from his pocket and offers it to her like it's his first born. "I've copied the hit song from my new album onto this to draw inspiration from." She hesitates taking it, so he puts it in her hand and curls her fingers around it, keeping a hold of her hand. "If it would be possible, I'd like to have the finished product by next Saturday. Since I announced the new album earlier then I meant too, Bob's wanting to release the design for it earlier as well." He rolls his eyes, releasing her hand. "Thankfully signing the contract means that the release date is set in stone, so he can't bring that forward either."

"I will definitely have the final product by next Saturday." She reassures him, gripping the USB tightly. "You can count on me!"

He smiles at her and holds his fist out. She bumps hers, the one holding the USB, against his. "I always do."


	30. Not a Hang Out, a Date

**Chapter Thirty – Not a Hang Out; a Date**

Once again, Adrien begs Raymond to drive him to Marinette's house as soon as his photoshoot ends. He probably doesn't have to beg; Raymond sometimes just looks at him and offers to take him to see her, but he feels like he has to so Raymond can blame his 'disobedience' on him when his father undoubtfully finds out.

This time he remembers to call her, remembering that Jagged Stone is supposed to be seeing her as well, but she doesn't answer so he sends her a text – also unanswered – before deciding to just surprise her. If she's busy, he'll wait until next weekend.

They pull up outside the bakery and Raymond passes Adrien some money, even though Tom and Sabine never let him pay for his macaroons – Marinette says it's a thank you for keeping him safe.

"Adrien!" Sabine exclaims, opening the door for him. She's already holding a box of macaroons for Raymond, which she passes through the window to him (along with the money Adrien tries to give her), exchanging polite conversation, before wrapping Adrien in one of her motherly hugs he's missed so much.

"Hi ma'a–Sabine," He says, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek in greeting.

She pats his cheek, before ushering him inside. "Marinette's in her room if you want to go up." She grins excitedly. "I'm sure she wants to tell you the exciting news herself."

He smiles and nods shyly. "Probably."

She gives him a bag containing two croissants – one for him, one for Marinette – and he says a quick 'hello' to Tom before running up the stairs to Marinette's room. He hears music, but can't make out any of the words, and he knocks on the trapdoor before starting to push it open.

"Marinette?" He asks, frowning when he hears a yelp.

"A–Adrien, um, just hang on a minute." She quickly turns the music off while Tikki goes to her hiding place. "Come in." She smiles at him when he emerges through the trap door, and he grins, shutting it behind him.

"Hey! Sorry I scared you, I did call but you didn't answer." He kisses her cheek in greeting and she frowns slightly, picking up her phone. Sure enough, she has one missed call and a text.

"Oh, sorry." She grins sheepishly, putting her phone back on her desk. "I was working on Jagged's album design." Her eyes widen and she squeals excitedly. "He actually asked me to design it for him!"

"Well of course he would!" He says, shaking his head at her fondly. "Can I see it?"

Her smile disappears quickly, and she bites her lip. "Maybe not. He didn't say if I could show anyone or not."

"I understand." He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her closer. Her arms wind around his neck. "Is that why you panicked when I knocked?"

She nods, leaning forward to rest her head on his shoulder. "That and he gave me a copy of the hit song from the new album to draw inspiration from."

His eyes widen and he tightens his arms around her. "What? Really?" She nods. "Oh my God, you are _so_ lucky!"

She giggles and pulls back from him. He immediately mourns her warmth and resists the urge to pull her back to him. "Yeah," Her voice comes out a little flat, and she clears her throat. "Enough about me though, how was your photoshoot?"

"It was okay. Vincent missed you." He smirks at her. "He's trying to convince Father to redo the Lila photoshoot with you."

"_What_?" Her jaw drops and he snorts, pushing it closed for her like Alya would. "B–But I'm not–"

"I think he likes your 'look'." He says, making air quotes. "Plus, you're beautiful." Her cheeks instantly flush.

"N–No I–I'm not." She shakes her head vehemently. "I am _not_ b–beautif–f–ful, h–he just, he doesn't, I'm not–"

He rolls his eyes and kisses her nose. "You're beautiful."

"Y–You're handsome." She whispers, and his eyes widen, before he smiles a Cat Noir smile.

"I know."

She scoffs and pushes him away from her. "Dork."

. . .

They end up playing a few games of Ultimate Mecha Strike III (all of which Marinette wins, which is mostly because she's better then him, and somewhat because he's nervous and she's pressed against his side and she's so _warm_), before Marinette says she has to get back to designing the album cover.

"Can I stay?" He asks, and she hesitates. "I won't look, I promise. I have my Chinese work with me, and I can wear earphones and listen to my own music."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Your Chinese teacher is sick again?"

". . . Yes." She raises an eyebrow and he smiles sheepishly, ducking his head. "Okay, he's not sick."

"I didn't think so." She puts their controllers away and sits back on the couch. "Why are you ditching him?"

He bites his lip, hesitating, before glancing at her pointedly. "Because I want to spend time with you."

Her eyes widen, and she flushes slightly. "Really?" He nods. "I like spending time with you too."

"Does that mean I can stay?" He tilts his head at her, and she sighs, feigning annoyance.

"I guess so."

"Yay!" He fist bumps the air and she giggles.

"But you can't look, and I'm going to wear earphones so you can't hear the song. Okay?"

He nods eagerly. "Yes, yes, okay!"

They go back up to her room and Marinette sits at her desk so work on the album cover. Jagged Stone's new song plays through her earphones, and Adrien tries his hardest to obey her wishes and not look. He ends up having to sit on the floor so it's harder for him to see what she's doing. He still can't concentrate though, and spends the better part of an hour watching Marinette work, thankful that she can't see him staring at her. He almost gets caught when she suddenly leans back in her chair and groans, rubbing her neck. He glances away quickly when she turns her head to look at him.

"Do you mind if we take a break? My neck's starting to hurt." She asks, already saving her design and turning the music off.

"Not at all." He says, hoping she didn't notice him staring at her and thinking he was spying. "How's the album cover going?"

She smiles, reaching up to rub her neck. "It's almost done, but I've finished working on it for today."

"Does that mean you're free?" He asks hesitantly. He starts to stand up but she sits down, crossing her legs.

"I guess so. Why?" She continues to rub her neck.

This is his chance. Possibly his only chance. He has to take it. "Um, I, well, I–" He coughs to clear his throat, and decides it'll be easier if he doesn't look at her. He stares down at his Chinese work. "I–I was wondering if you wanted to see a movie? With me?" He glances at her. "Tonight?"

She smiles. "I'd love to. What time does it start?"

"Six thirty."

"Are the other's coming?"

"Oh, um . . ." His cheeks flush and he scratches the back of his head. "No, j–just us."

"Oh . . ." She knows he only scratches the back of his head when he's nervous. "Are you . . . asking me on a date?" She bites her lip so she doesn't smile, but she can't stop hope building inside her.

"Y– . . . yes." He swallows nervously, but holds her gaze.

She beams at him. "I'd love to."

"_Really_?"

She giggles, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Yes."

. . .

_This is ridiculous_. Marinette paces back and forth in her room, trying to not have a full–blown panic attack. It's just a movie. _We've watched movies together before_. _Hell, we've cuddled for an entire movie before, and we've kissed twice_ . . . _technically more than twice_. She looks back at Tikki, who's trying her hardest to understand why her holder is freaking out more about going to the movie's with Adrien then she was about the plan to take Lila down.

"I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?" She asks her kwami.

Tikki nods. "A little bit." She giggles at her holder's distraught expression. "It's just Adrien, Marinette. You don't have to be nervous."

"I know!" She collapses onto her chaise, fiddling with the hem of her dress – the Cat Noir one, because dressing as her partner tends to make her feel calmer. "It's just . . . it's an actual date this time, you know? Not a hang out. A date." She smiles at Tikki. "Do you think that means he wants us to go out?"

Tikki gives her a deadpanned look. "If you two don't start going out soon I'm going to follow Chloé's example and smack the two of you."

She giggles. "Thanks Tikki."

"You just have to be yourself. He likes you for who you are, and he's probably just as nervous as you are."

She nods, kissing Tikki on the head. "You're right. I just need to relax, be myself, and not freak out." She glances back at her kwami. "That's easier said than done."

Tikki rolls her eyes. "You're hopeless."

Before Marinette can reply, they hear a knock at the front door and her parents opening it. She waits until she hears Adrien's voice – even through the floor he sounds just as nervous as she feels – before walking down the stairs.

As soon as she emerges from her room, Adrien's eyes immediately go to her. He feels an odd sense of pride when he recognises the dress she wore for hero day (though this time it's without the cat ears, and cat tights, and the bell, but it still looks really nice), and he flushes slightly when she catches his gaze, smiling.

"Hey!" He greets her at the bottom of the stairs. His first instinct is to kiss her, but he's not sure if he should in front of her parents (especially when Sabine is holding her phone up as if she's taking photos or a video). She decides for him, kissing his cheek before fixing his hair (he was running his fingers through it on the drive over, freaking out because they're going on a date. Not a hang out; a_ date_.)

"Hi!" Her gaze flicks to her parents and she gives them an unimpressed look. "Really?"

"You two look _so cute_!" Sabine squeals, looking over her shoulder at her husband. "Don't they look _so cute_?"

"They do!" Tom beams at them, giving Adrien a thumbs up. He flushes instantly.

Marinette groans and hides her face in his neck. He wraps an arm around her waist automatically, pressing a kiss to her hair. Tom and Sabine coo at them and he giggles.

"I love your parents." He whispers to her, and she lifts her head enough to give him a deadpanned look.

"You can have them."


	31. Brave

**Chapter Thirty One – Brave**

Even though it's night time, Adrien insists Raymond let him and Marinette use the train to get to the cinema like most kids do, and that way Raymond can have a little time off as well. He takes this to mean follow them at a distance that isn't so close he can hear their conversation, but isn't too far away that they can disappear too easily.

"Should we play the ninja game?" Adrien murmurs to Marinette.

She shakes her head, swinging their entwined hands between their bodies. "I actually feel a little safer knowing he's there. It _is_ night time." Yes, if anything bad happened she could just transform into Ladybug and take them to safety, but Adrien doesn't know that.

"Okay," He agrees, smiling at her. They reach the steps to the station and walk down them carefully, in case there's broken glass on the ground – it is an underground train platform, things like that happen.

"Does your dad know you're with me?" She asks after a moment.

"Um . . ." He scratches the back of his head. "Nathalie knows, she's the one who bought our tickets, and she said she'd tell Father after I had already left."

Marinette frowns at him. "You bought the tickets? You didn't have to do that." She elbows his side and he giggles.

"I wanted to." He squeezes her hand, but she still frowns at him, annoyed.

"Fine. But I'm paying next time." She grumbles. His heart skips a beat at the implication that she wants to go on a date again. All of that freaking out and worrying to Plagg may have been for nothing.

There are only a few other people on the platform with them, including another couple who seem to be a couple of years older than them. Because of where Adrien and Marinette are standing, they can only either look across the station at Adrien's perfume ad, at the floor, or at the other couple.

Adrien doesn't exactly like looking at pictures of himself modelling – especially _that_ picture – and Marinette knows that and doesn't want to make him uncomfortable (plus, after all the time they've spent together, she'd rather look at the photos on her phone that they've taken together then the one's he was forced into), so they choose to look at the couple, which is fine until they start making out.

Adrien's sure that if Nino was here, he'd be telling him to watch to get some hints (or if Plagg wasn't currently in a cheese coma in his jacket pocket, he'd probably tell him the same), but really it just makes him feel uncomfortable. And judging by the way Marinette pulls her hand from his grasp and shuffles a little away from him, she feels the same.

"Um," She says, and he drags his eyes form the couple to look at her, cheeks flushed slightly. "Um . . . I don't really know what I was going to say." She mutters and he snorts, putting an arm around her waist. She hesitates briefly before returning the gesture, leaning against him. They decide to look at each other instead.

"How did your mum find out? About Lila?" He asks quietly.

She stiffens slightly and glances away from him. "Sh–She's my mum. Mum's know everything."

He frowns, tightening his arm around her. "You really are horrible at lying."

She snorts, glancing back at him. "She saw the bruise on my arm, back when you could–well, back when it was really bad." She subconsciously looks at where the bruise is under her cardigan, thankful it's at the point where it's just a slight decolourisation from her natural skin tone. "She didn't know how to broach the subject with me, so she went to the school instead, hoping they knew."

"Is that how Ms Bustier found out?" She nods. "What about what you told Chloé? When did that happen?"

"After–I–I mean before I asked if we could use the house as a hideout." She smiles briefly. "I thought it would be easier to get their permission if I came clean then if I continued to try and hide everything from them."

Adrien's quiet for a moment, and Marinette turns her head to look at him, making sure he's okay. She frowns, every crevice of her face filled with concern, but it's nothing compared to his. He leans forward and kisses the corner of her lips, leaning his forehead against hers.

"You're really brave, you know?" He whispers, and she smiles nuzzling her nose against his in an Eskimo kiss.

"Not as brave as you." Before he can protest, she captures his lips with hers.

. . .

Once they're safely inside the cinema, Adrien expects Raymond to bid them farewell, but instead he gets into line to buy a movie ticket himself. Since Adrien (well, Nathalie) brought his and Marinette's online, they go to the 'VIP' line, which is much shorter. There are only two workers manning the front desk, and both are busy with getting snacks for the other movie patrons. Adrien leans down to whisper in Marinette's ear.

"Perhaps we should've played the ninja game anyway." She giggles, looking back at Raymond. He sees and gives her a curt nod, but she's almost positive his lips twitch as if he wants to smile.

"I don't think that would be appropriate in the cinema." Adrien only grins at her in response.

The woman being served by the worker in front of them finishes her order and takes the snacks and tickets, barely pausing to thank him. This doesn't seem to affect him, and he shifts his eyes to the 'VIP' line. They widen instantly.

"Marinette? Adrien? Hi!" Nathaniel smiles at them shyly and they return it, walking up to his counter.

"Hey Nathaniel. I didn't know you worked here?" Marinette says politely, if a little tensely. He's the first person she's run into from their class since the Lila fiasco.

"I–It's recent." He stammers, glancing nervously at them. His bottom lip quivers and Adrien notices him grip the counter top so hard his knuckles turn white. "I'm really sorry, Marinette." He glances at her, and she sees tears in his eyes. "I was so blind to Lila's lies, a–and she had me wrapped around her, and . . . I am _so_, _so_ sorry." He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. "I don't expect you to, but I–I hope you can forgive me. Someday." His voice cracks and he bites his lip. Hard.

Marinette puts her hand over his and squeezes lightly. His eyes flick to hers. "I can't tell you that it's okay, because it isn't. But I do forgive you." She shrugs, squeezing his hand again before pulling back. "I just . . . I can't trust you right now. I'm too used to people not believing or trusting me."

He nods hastily, and a tear runs down his cheek. He wipes it away. "I understand. And I really am _so_ sorry."

She smiles sadly, leaning her head against Adrien's shoulder. "I know."

Nathaniel gives them their tickets quickly, and Adrien almost feels bad when he asks for some popcorn – with extra butter for Plagg – and a bag of chocolate bites. They pay for them quickly, and bid him farewell, almost running away from him. Raymond's still in line for his ticket, but when they stand to the side to wait for him, he waves them off. They don't need to be told twice.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asks her as they enter the cinema the movie's playing in.

"I'm fine." She smiles at him. "Where do you want to sit?"

"Oh, um . . ." He guides her to the second row from the back and they move along the row until they're in the middle. When they sit down, their shoulders press together, but neither makes a motion to move. "Is this okay?" He asks, glancing at her before opening the box of popcorn (Plagg's started pocking him impatiently).

"Yep!" She smiles at him, opening her bag of chocolate bites and passing one to Tikki as subtly as she can. Thankfully the cinema's pretty dark.

They continue to make small talk and pass their snacks between each other (and, unknowingly, their kwamis) until the previews start. As the opening credits begin, Adrien slips his hand into Marinette's and she leans more firmly against him. She interlaces their fingers and lets her head rest on his shoulder. Not even a second later she feels the weight of his head as he leans his against hers. They remain like that until Marinette has to go to the bathroom about halfway through the movie, and she uses the excuse to check the news for any signs of akumas. Thankfully, everything is calm. She returns to her seat and Adrien smiles at her, instantly reclaiming her hand and interlacing their fingers. He leans over and whispers what she missed between the characters talking, and they move their way into their previous position. When Marinette's eyes start to droop, she makes herself sit up and rubs them.

"I'm getting tired." She says in response to Adrien's questioning glance.

"We can leave early if you want."

She shakes her head, scooting closer so their knees touch. "No, I don't want to go."

"You sure?" He leans forward until their foreheads are pressed together.

She smiles, and tilts her head to kiss the corner of his lips. "Positive."


	32. Grown Up

**Chapter Thirty Two – Grown Up**

Monday arrives – after an uneventful Sunday where none of them can hang out together, but they stay in contact via their group chat, appropriately titled 'The Ninjas' – And Marinette is unsure whether she should go to school earlier or later. Her body clock decides for her, because she wakes up well before her alarm, meaning she even manages to beat Adrien to school for once.

"Hey!" He says as soon as he sees her, smiling broadly. "You're early."

"I know, weird hey?" She kisses his cheek before passing him her croissant. He takes a bite and the pastry flakes fall on his shirt, standing out against the black fabric.

"Yum," He says taking another bite.

She snorts, taking it back. "I'll be sure to tell Dad of your high praise." She takes a bite and he bumps his hip against hers, before taking her hand.

They walk into school, sharing the rest of the croissant, and ignoring the looks they get from the other students. Marinette tightens her grip on Adrien's hand as they near the classroom, and he pauses outside.

"Ready for World War III?" He jokes.

She rolls her eyes, but manages a small smile. "Let's find out."

Adrien pushes the classroom door open for them, and steps in in front of her to provide a shield in case Lila's inside. She bumps into his back when he stops suddenly, and she steps to the side to see why.

"Are we in an alternate universe?" Adrien asks, his voice coming out a little too loud.

Nino startles and pulls back from Alya, their lips making a sucking noise as they separate. The identical looks on their faces as they realise they've bene caught making out would be comical if Marinette and Adrien weren't completely and utterly confused.

"Uh . . . hey." Nino says, waving at them awkwardly. Alya facepalms.

"_Are you back together_?" Marinette asks excitedly, all previous negative thoughts towards Alya momentarily being put on the backburner.

"Oh, um . . ." Nino trails off again, glancing at Alya. "Y–Yeah, we are. W–We met up on Saturday and hashed everything out, but–"

Marinette screams and tackles Alya in a bear hug. It takes a moment to get over her shock that Marinette's hugging her, but then Alya's squeezing her just as hard and squealing in excitement.

Nino looks at Adrien and tries to smirk, but he's too happy and ends up just beaming at him. "Girls, am I right?" Adrien snorts and punches Nino's arm, before taking his seat.

"Oh my God, I'm so happy for you two!" Marinette squeals, finally releasing Alya. She collapses into her seat but remains facing her former friend.

"I can tell. You gotta calm down, girl." Alya jokes, and Marinette giggles.

Just as quickly as her excitement appeared, however, it disappears and her expression goes blank in a matter of milliseconds. Her gaze shifts to Nino. "Chris must be happy."

His eyes widen slightly, wondering how she knows that, before remembering Adrien. "Yeah, he is. Ecstatic."

She smiles at the two of them again, before turning to face the front. She starts unpacking her things. Alya frowns, biting her lip nervously, and she glances at Adrien, silently asking him if they can switch seats. He leans over and kisses Marinette's cheek before standing to switch with Alya. Not wanting to eavesdrop, the boys take their phones out and play music through their earphones.

"Adrien just kissed you." Alya says in a way of greeting.

"Yep."

"And you didn't freak out."

Marinette smirks slightly, before she looks at Alya with an emotionless expression. Call her a hypocrite, but she kind of wants to mess with her a little. "Why would I freak out? It was just a cheek kiss." Alya tilts her head at her. "More of a peck, really." Her eyes widen. "Especially compared to some of our other kisses." Her jaw drops and a strangled whine escapes. "You probably saw that though, Lila recorded it on her phone." Her expression morphs into a glare and anger flashes in her eyes. Marinette leans back slightly, afraid she's gone too far.

"Lila did _what_?" Alya almost growls.

"U–Um, she recorded us kissing. Making out, really."

"Oh. My. God." She lunges forward and grips Marinette's arms. "_Why didn't you send that to me_?"

"I–I don't have it." Marinette manages to get out, before she smiles. "Kagami has a copy though, and Chloé too. They keep teasing us with it at lunch."

"Oh my God, _where are they_? I _have _to see that! That's just too cute!"

She snorts. "They're probably on their way."

"They better be." Alya mutters, finally releasing her grip on the poor girl's arms.

Marinette bites her lip and looks away from Alya, fiddling with her fingers. "Why did you come see me at the bakery?" She glances at the Ladyblogger. "I know that you just broke up with Nino and wanted someone to talk to. Someone who _wouldn't_ lie, but that's not 'why'."

Alya looks away from her. "I . . . I don't know. I mean . . . I'd started doubting Lila, and Nino got mad at me for taking so long to realise, and I . . ." Her bottom lip quivers and she wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. "I guess I just wanted a friend."

"So, you came to me?" She doesn't try to hide the annoyance in her voice. "You came to me because _you_ needed a friend."

"Yes."

"And I didn't turn you away."

"You said you couldn't forgive me!"

"And I'm glad I didn't!" She glares at her former friend, but it softens when a tear falls from Alya's eye. She wipes it away. "Have you even stopped to think about how I felt when I went to you for help and all you did was tell me to stop being jealous and _grow up_?"

"N–No–"

"Well guess what Alya? _I've grown up_!" Marinette wipes her cheek harshly, angry that she's started crying. "I've grown up, but you stayed the same, and you don't expect that to be an issue."

"Mari–"

"And if that wasn't enough, after you came to see me you went straight back to _her,_ even though _you knew she was lying_." Alya's shoulders shake with suppressed sobs, and Marinette takes a deep breath before drawing the Ladyblogger into her.

Alya clings to her like she's her life raft and they're in the middle of the ocean. "I–I'm so sorry." She cries. "I am _so_, _so_, _so_ sorry, Marinette."

"You know what the worst thing is?" She asks, as if Alya hasn't even spoken. "I was going to forgive you. You were my best friend Alya, my first _real_ friend." She pulls back from her and gives her a sad smile. "You were going to be my roommate for University, my maid of honour, the God Mother to my children. And when we were old, and in our nineties, you were going to be my partner in crime as we terrorised everyone else in the nursing home."

"You forgot your backup for if Adrien doesn't marry you, and Nino doesn't marry me." Alya digs into her pocket and pulls out a tissue. She wipes her eyes and blows her nose. "Not that that seems likely now."

Marinette rolls her eyes. "The point is that even though you broke my trust, I still loved you enough to forgive you. And I would have. If you wanted it."

"I did want it!"

"You want it now, you didn't then. If you did you wouldn't have continued to hurt me."

"B–But I didn't–"

"You did." She shakes her head. "It just didn't look like hurt because I didn't let it show." She smiles ruefully. "Like I said; I've grown up. I don't let inane comments and actions affect me anymore, just like I'm sure you don't because you _so_ mature."

Alya's bottom lip quivers again and she wipes her eyes with the tissue. "I haven't grown up. And I'm not mature."

"I know. Mature people don't drag other people down to make themselves feel better." Without looking, she grabs Adrien's hand and squeezes. He returns it instantly, interlacing their fingers. His breath tickles her skin before he kisses the back of her hand. "I'm really happy that you and Nino are together again, but I can't forgive you, and I can't trust you." She squeezes Adrien's hand again, drawing strength from him. "And I don't know if I'll ever be able to again." Tears fall from her eyes but she doesn't bother wiping them away. "You hurt me too much."


	33. Doorknob

**Chapter Thirty Three – Doorknob**

Marinette desperately wants to go home for lunch, but Chloé convinces her that it will be best to get the first lunchtime over and done with. She reluctantly agrees. Despite Alya and Nino being back together, he tells her that he wants to sit with 'the ninjas', and doesn't feel like that would really benefit either her or Marinette. Thankfully, Alya agrees and sits with the girls.

"You don't have to sit apart because of me." Marinette tells him, but he just rolls his eyes.

"You're one of my best friends dude. And you're hurting." He takes a bite of his sandwich and talks with his mouth full. "Alya and I may be back together but that doesn't mean this is going to change."

"Good." Chloé throws a grape at Adrien and he shifts to catch it with his mouth. "Because I'm only forgiving her if you forgive her."

"I don't know if I can."

Adrien puts his arm around her and presses a kiss to her temple. "It's fine if you don't; you don't owe her anything."

She sighs and looks at the table where the girls – sans Mylène, who went to a café with Ivan – are sitting. Rose catches her eye and smiles, waving. She smiles at her, before glancing down at her lunch.

"So, what exactly happened after we left the classroom?" Adrien asks, directing his question to Nino.

"Well, Alya described it as '. . . poop hitting the fan'." Chloé rolls her eyes. "Apparently Lila started crying and saying that she was being tricked, that you–" He nods at Marinette, "–had somehow convinced Ladybug and Cat Noir and Jagged and Ms Chamack to spread lies about her." He rolls his eyes.

"Did it work?" Marinette asks, leaning against Adrien's side. She can't help but feel emotionally exhausted, and she just wants to go home and go to sleep. He tightens his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

Nino snorts. "No. I wish Alya recorded it, it would've been amazing to see."

"So . . . is everyone against Lila now?" Chloé asks, glancing around the cafeteria. Sabrina catches her eye but she looks back at Nino.

"Pretty much. Alya said that she, Alix and Kim pretty much grilled her until she admitted that she had been lying since she got here. Well," He tilts his head. "Alya said she didn't say 'lying', she apparently said–"

"That she only tells people what they want to hear?" Marinette guesses, and Nino nods.

"You've heard that before?"

"When she threatened me the first time, after the napkin thing." She rolls her eyes.

"Does that mean it's over?" Adrien asks, hopefully.

Nino smiles at him, nodding. "Yeah. Everyone knows she's been lying, and Alya said that Ms Bustier sent her to Mr Damocles' office after they finished grilling her." He grins. "I think Lila's days of manipulating and hurting everyone are over."

Adrien and Nino share a fist bump, grinning broadly. Marinette hums, not entirely convinced. Chloé meets her gaze and tilts her head, her expression as doubtful as Marinette's.

. . .

"Okay, there is something seriously wrong with boys!" Chloé huffs, linking her arm through Marinette's.

She giggles and shakes her head. "They're just not used to how girls operate."

"Well, when they get back from the bathroom I'll _tell them_ how we operate!" She grumbles, quickening her pace up the stairs. Marinette starts to respond as they turn the corner when a high–pitched scream reaches their ears.

"What the–"

"_Akuma_!"

They stare in horror as a figure about three meters tall, engulfed in flames, charges through the (now burnt) school doors and starts throwing fire balls at the students. Marinette can only stare in horror as one narrowly misses Nino, and instead causes both of the cafeteria doors to catch alight.

"_MARINETTE_!" The figure screeches, and Marinette's blood runs cold.

Chloé swears and drags her to the first door she sees and shoves her inside. "Stay here! Stay quiet! Don't open the door for anyone!" She slams it shut and locks it before Marinette can form a reply.

"Marinette?" Tikki asks, hovering in her face and waving her arms.

The girl jolts out of her momentary paralysis and springs into action. She feels along the door searching for the door handle. Her eyes adjust to the little light caused by the safety light, letting her know she's in a janitor's closet, and panic rushes through her.

"Tikki, there's no door handle!" She stares in panic at the kwami before she turns back to her door and raps her fit against it. "_Chloé_? _Chloé_? I need you to come back! Chloé please, _you don't understand_!"

"Marinette, calm down!" Tikki exclaims. "I can just phase through–"

The lock on the other side clicks open and Marinette barely has enough time to step back before Adrien is shoved inside. His shocked expression meets hers for a split second before he spins around and starts pounding on the already shut and locked door.

"_Chloé_? _What are you doing_?" He thumps it with his fist before kicking it. "Chloé please, you don't understand! _I need to get out_!" He thumps the door one last time before stepping back from it. His eyes meet hers and the anger instantly vanishes. "Babe? Are you okay?" He reaches out to hug her but she shakes her head, stepping back. Her foot kicks a bucket and a mop falls over which causes a box of sawdust to hit the ground and _of course_ it spills onto the floor.

"St–Stuffy." She says as way of explanation, both for stepping back and for her panic.

"Sorry!" He pushes back against the opposite shelf to give her more room. "Are you okay?"

"_No_!" She wails, stepping forward and pushing her whole body weight against the door. "_Why does this door only have one doorknob_? _Where's the other doorknob_? _What kind of moron makes a door with only one doorknob_?" She threads her fingers through her hair, messing up her pigtails. Her breathing comes fast and irregular, borderline hyperventilation.

"Babe, it's okay!" Adrien says, ignoring her claustrophobia and wrapping his arms around her. "It's okay!"

"_It's not okay_!" She cries, trying to pull back from him. He strengthens his hold on her.

"Yes, it is. Ladybug will save us, and everything will–"

"_No, she won't_!" She screams, tearing herself form his grip. She pulls on her hair, causing it to fall out of its signature pigtails. "She won't save us because _she isn't there_!" Tears fall down her cheeks and he stares at her in shock. "People are being put a light and _she isn't there_!"

"Yes, she–"

"_She isn't, Adrien_!" She tugs her hands from her hair, clenching them in fists at her sides. "She isn't there! She _can't_ save them!" She kicks the door again. "_Why is there no doorknob_?"

Sobs shake her body and she presses a hand over her mouth to muffle them. Adrien moves slowly, not wanting to upset her with any sudden movements. His arms wrap around her loosely and she collapses against him, clinging to him like he's her life support. He rubs her back, humming a senseless tune to try and calm her down. He can feel Plagg poking him insistently, trying to get him to transform, but there's no way he can leave Marinette like this.

"It's okay. She _will_ save us, Marinette. You know she will. She always does."

She lets out a whimper and shakes her head. "You don't understand. She's not out there."

"What do you mean she's–" He cuts himself off, realisation dawning on him. He pushes her away gently and holds her at arm's length, gaze flicking over her face. "Mari . . . you . . . what . . ." He shakes his head, releasing her and stepping back. His back hits a shelf and a container gets pushed back, making a scraping sound against the wood. In the sudden quiet of the closet, it sounds louder than a thousand elephants. "Y–You're . . ."

She nods slightly, wiping her cheeks on the back of her hand. "I'm Ladybug." He covers his mouth with his hand so he doesn't say anything he shouldn't at a volume he shouldn't. She goes to hit the door, but all her previous adrenaline has since dissipated and she falters, basically just giving the door a high–five instead. "I . . . I need to get out." Her gaze flicks to his and it's as if he's always known she was Ladybug. "I need . . . out."

"We do." He says, holding his overshirt open for Plagg to come out.

"We?" She lets out a strangled squeak as Plagg zooms past her, phases through the door, and opens it from the outside. It pops open a couple of centimetres, and Plagg phases back through, sending her a wave and a smile as he goes past.

"We'll talk after, okay?" Adrien says, waiting for her to nod before calling for his transformation. He's vaguely aware of her doing the same, and then Paris's superheros dart out of the janitor's closet (which some moron put a door with only one doorknob on).


	34. After

**Chapter Thirty Four – After**

_Of course_ the akumatised villain is Lila. And of course she just _has_ to be throwing fire at people. Cat Noir is able to distract her long enough for Ladybug to get the dragon Miraculous from the miracle box, get it to Kagami (there isn't time to find someone that Hawkmoth doesn't know the identity of), and then come up with a game plan. It is one of their hardest, yet simplest, fights – even if you exclude the time stuck in the janitor's closet – and it isn't helped by Cat Noir and Ladybug's sloppiness. Their movements aren't as precise, and they have quite a few slip ups where they almost say each other's civilian names. The akuma is in her wrist band.

They almost forget their signature 'pound it', and then Ladybug and Ryuko leave Cat to deal with Lila – basically he tells her to go home and try not to get akumatised again – before bounding over the rooftops to get back to school. He sprints to the janitor's closet and darts inside, remembering to not shut the door. He releases his transformation and steps out, looking around to make sure no one notices him emerging. Mr Damocles announces over the loudspeaker that school has been cancelled for the rest of the day – which is a little pointless, Adrien realises, because it looks like most people have already left, and it's almost home time anyway.

"You may want to go to the princess." Plagg tells him, and he nods numbly.

"Yeah."

"She's probably home by now." He nods again at his kwami's words.

The few students he does pass on the way out barely spare him a glance; too focused on getting home to acknowledge anything around them. Raymond's waiting for him in the car, and when he looks at him, Adrien just points at Marinette's house. He sees him nod, and then he pulls away from the curb and drives away.

"Come on, kid." Plagg says, when Adrien doesn't move from his position at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm scared Plagg." He looks down at his kwami. "Marinette's my best friend. What if she doesn't want to be friends anymore because I'm Cat Noir? Wh–What if she makes me give up my Miraculous? She's going to be the guardian; she can do that!"

"Calm down!" Plagg scolds, tugging on Adrien's shirt to get his attention. "This is _Marinette_ you're talking about. Do you really think she would feel that way?"

Adrien stares at his kwami's eyes; wide and frantic, trying to stop him from freaking out. He thinks about Marinette, Ladybug, his best friend, his _girlfriend_ (well, not yet. He still hasn't _officially_ asked her out). She dressed up as him, she called him a dork – both in and out of the mask – she corrects anyone who calls him her sidekick, she trusts him with her life.

"No. No, she would never feel that way."

Plagg tilts his head and raises an eyebrow. "Then why are you scared?"

"Because I don't want anything to change. I don't want _us_ to change." He bites his lip and looks across the street at the room he knows she's waiting for him in. _Is she freaking out too? Who is he kidding, this is _Marinette_. _Of course_ she's freaking out_.

"Kid," Plagg shakes his head. "You _have_ changed. You've been changing this whole time; you just didn't notice." Adrien looks back at him. "And you can't tell me that you regret it, because the chances of that happening are as high as _you_ being Hawk Moth."

He snorts, scratching Plagg's ears. He starts purring immediately. "You're right."

"When am I not?"

"It'll be okay, no matter what happens."

. . .

Sabine sends him upstairs with a plate of cookies and a cheese stick, telling him Marinette's in her room. She must have heard him coming, because before he's made it even halfway up the stairs to her room, she's opened the trapdoor for him. He pauses and stares up at her. He spots a red kwami hovering above her shoulder, and she gives him a little wave. Before he can form a coherent sentence, Plagg phases through his shirt and tackles Marinette's kwami in a hug, before they start chasing each other around her room.

"I thought you'd have come in through the skylight." Marinette says, and his eyes flick back to her.

He stammers, almost dropping the plate. "I–I didn't, I wanted, I thought–" He bites his lip and offers the plate of cookies to her.

She smiles, taking it from him. "Come in." She stands up from her crouch and sits on her chaise. He follows her, shutting the trap door behind him. They sit further apart then they have in weeks, and Adrien jiggles his legs nervously. "So . . ." Marinette starts, putting the plate of cookies on the floor. "You're Cat Noir."

He nods. "And you're Ladybug."

"I am." She smiles at him briefly, before she drops her face into her hands. "Oh my God, you weren't supposed to find out!" He scoots over to her and runs his hand up and down her back, trying to offer her what little comfort he can.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault!" She turns her head to look at him. His bottom lip quivers when he notices the tears in her eyes. "It's _mine_! I'm supposed to become the _guardian_! I'm supposed to protect _everything_!"

"You're not supposed to protect _everything_." Adrien says, shifting his hands to grip her shoulders. "You can't, no one can. Not even Master Fu can." He regrets saying this instantly, because she bursts into tears. "Mari–"

She tackles him in a hug and hides her face in his neck. He wraps his arms around her tightly, almost pulling her onto his lap. She shifts her legs so they're either side of his and he pulls her closer so there's hardly enough room for air between them. He's vaguely aware of the red kwami and Plagg watching them from Marinette's bed, wearing identical frowns of concern.

"Marinette? It's okay. No one else knows, it's just me, and–"

She pulls back from him slightly and shifts her arms so they're around his neck. "It's too dangerous! What if we get akumatised? Or get under Hawk Moth's power? You saw what happened with Marianne Lenoir and Master Fu. If either of us gets akumatised Hawk Moth will know who we are and then it'll be game over." She shakes her head sadly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. A tear falls from her eyes and he kisses it away.

"We won't let that happen, okay? I promise you."

"But–"

"You have me, okay? You have me and Plagg and Master Fu and . . . I'm sorry, what's your kwami's name again?"

"Tikki." She looks over her shoulder and smiles at said kwami, who beams at her.

"You have us, and you will _always_ have us." He shifts his hand up to caress her cheek. "Always."

She shakes her head and leans forward to press their foreheads together. "I can't afford to make mistakes."

He laughs unhumorously. "You're only human, babe. You're going to make mistakes. You're going to make hundreds. Thousands." He shifts his hands so they're around her waist again.

"Master Fu only made one mistake."

"One _huge_ mistake." He shakes his head. "That doesn't mean he didn't make a thousand other ones."

"Revealing my identity _is_ a huge mistake." She pulls back to look at him.

"Not revealing it in that moment would've been a bigger one." He says, his tone one not to be argued with. "You did what you had to do to stop Lila–"

"Inferno."

He nods, tucking her hair – still down – behind her ear. "If we hadn't done that . . ." He shakes his head, not wanting to even _think_ about what could have happened.

"Our kwami's could have phased through the door." She says quietly.

Adrien nods. "And they did." Tears fill her eyes again and she tilts her head back so they don't fall. "We can't take back revealing our identities, we just have to deal with this and come up with a strategy to make sure it doesn't happen again."

She sniffs and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. "W–We . . . we need to keep Ladybug and Cat Noir professional. We need to pretend that we don't know each other's identities. Not even hint at it."

He nods instantly. The fire in her eyes he's seen so often over the past few weeks finally connecting in the déjà vu part of his brain. "How about when we're in our suits, we only call each other 'Ladybug' and 'Cat Noir', and the same for when we're . . . us?"

She nods. "Yes, that way we can distance ourselves from our alter egos." She runs her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and he hums, tightening his arms around her again. "What if it doesn't work?" She whispers.

He tilts his head. "When you look at me, do you see him? Now that you know?"

She runs her eyes over his face, before frowning and covering his eyes with her hand to mimic where his mask would be. He giggles and his breath tickles her wrist. She messes up his hair, trying to make it look more like her partner's. She bites her lip and removes her hand from his eyes. He blinks them open and smiles at her.

She shakes her head, a smile ghosting her lips. "No. No you're just . . . you're you."

He grins and leans forward to kiss her. He pauses just before their lips touch, and she smiles, closing the gap. Her lips brush against his lightly, and he tilts his head to deepen the kiss. Her fingers lace through his hair and he hums when her nails scrape against his scalp. She shifts on his lap unintentionally and he moans. He pulls back instantly, both of their cheeks flushed.

"Sorry," He says, dropping his head to rest of her shoulder.

She giggles and continues to run her fingers through his hair. "It's fine. That, that was . . ."

She clears her throat before pulling away from him. She gets up from his lap and moves to sit beside him. He mourns her warmth immediately, but when she picks up the plate of cookies and offers it to him the fire in his heart burns brighter.

"Do you want some cheese stick, Plagg?" She asks, and his eyes widen before he remembers that they've already met.

"_Yes_!" The kwami exclaims, rushing forward and almost running into her face in his excitement to get his beloved cheese stick.

Tikki follows Plagg and she greets him warmly. He smiles but his usual shyness takes over and he ducks his head. He hears her giggle.

"Do I get a cookie too, Marinette?" She asks eagerly.

Marinette grins at her. "Of cause." She passes her on of the cookies, and she thanks her before darting back up to her bed. Plagg hovers by her side a little longer, and Adrien understands why when he realises they're sharing the cheese stick. "Do you want some?" She asks, tearing a chunk off and offering it to him.

"Adrien doesn't like cheese." Plagg says automatically, before his eyes widen. "_Tikki_!" He darts over to said kwami and latches onto her, shaking her to get her attention. "_I said his name_!"

"That's because they know each other's identities." She says calmly. "There's no need for you to not be able to say your holder's names around them when they know each other."

"Oh. I knew that." He smiles smugly before going back to get some more cheese stick. Tikki rolls her eyes fondly.


	35. More Than Anything

**Chapter Thirty Five – More Than Anything**

"My father wants to meet you." Adrien says, staring at his phone in shock.

"Hasn't he already?" She asks, glancing at him. They're lying on her bed, side by side, staring through her skylight.

"He wants you to come for dinner." He passes his phone to her and sure enough there's a text from Nathalie saying Gabriel wants her to join them for dinner. "That means he wants to meet you formally." He rolls his eyes.

"Why? I mean, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against meeting your dad, it's just . . ."

"_He's_ my dad." She nods slightly. He sighs. "I don't know? Maybe he thinks we're going out." He bites his lip, glancing at her nervously.

"_Everyone_ thinks we're going out." She rolls her eyes and lets the phone drop onto her stomach.

He swallows uneasily. "W–We don't." She hums in agreement, absentmindedly turning his phone over and over. "But, um . . ." He clears his throat and she turns her head to look at him. Like this, there's only a few centimetres between their faces. "I . . . kind of . . . want to?" His cheeks flush and he bites his lip again.

She frowns, but her lips twitch in an effort not to smile. "You want to think we're going out?"

He snorts. "Mari!" She burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh my God, you're _impossible_!" He rolls on top of her, putting his hands are on either side of her head and his knees on either side of her hips.

She sobers up, grinning at him inanely. "Not as impossible as you." He makes a face at her and she giggles again. "Does that mean you want us to go out?" She blinks up at him and he blinks back automatically.

He slides his legs down until his lower half is pinning hers to the bed, and shifts his arms so he's laying his weight on his forearms. She smiles and reaches up to caress his cheek, her other hand moving his phone from between their stomachs. He traces her features with his eyes, memorising every freckle, every shade of blue in her eyes, the shape of her mouth when she smiles. She licks her lips nervously and he leans even closer to her until their noses are almost touching.

"More than anything." He whispers, before pressing their lips together.

He feels her smile against his lips, and she tilts her head to deepen the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. She threads her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer to her, and he hums. He shifts his weight to one arm so he can slip his other hand under the curve of her back and pull her closer. Her shirt's ridden up slightly and she shivers as his fingers brushes against her bare skin. She exhales a sigh, before softening the kiss. She kisses him one last time before pulling back completely, letting her head fall back against her bed.

She beams up at him. "You're amazing." She whispers and he grins, pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips.

"When you found out I was him," He glances up at her shyly. "Were you disappointed?"

She frowns, slipping one of her hands from his hair to caress his cheek again. "Of course not. You're my _best friend_ Adrien. Being my partner in crime fighting just makes me . . ." Her cheeks flush and she glances away from him.

"Makes you what?" He leans closer to her, booping her nose with his.

She shifts her gaze back to him and she smiles softly. "Makes me love you more."

His eyes widen in surprise before a smile breaks out on his face. She grunts when his weight crushes her, his arms wrapped around her waist tightly and his face pressed into her neck. She manages to pull one leg out from under him and uses it to get some leverage so she can roll them over. She intends to only roll them onto their side, but then he pulls her back further until she's laying on top of him, their legs entwined. She pulls her arms out from under his neck and leans on her forearms. He grins up at her.

"I already loved you." Her eyes widen. "I've loved you since we met, when you stood up to Hawk Moth. And I've fallen even more in love with you every second we spend together. In _and_ out of the mask."

She glances away from him, opening and closing her mouth. "I–I thought you were just joking around." His har tickles her hands as he shakes his head.

"No."

She raises an eyebrow at him, trying to look doubtful, but the mirth in her eyes lets him know she's playing him. "Are you sure?"

He threads his fingers through her hair, relishing in the softness of it. She leans into his touch. "More than anything." He repeats, grinning at her.

"I, uh . . ." She flushes and leans down to hide her face in his neck. He shifts his arms so they're around her waist. "I've loved you since you gave me your umbrella."

He frowns slightly, trying to pin–point when that was. His eyes widen when he remembers the rain, her laugh, Plagg's teasing. _A friend_. She lifts her head to look at him, biting her lip nervously. He smiles, gripping her shirt tightly as if she's going to pull away.

"I, uh, I understand if you d–don't–"

"Marry me?" He whispers, cutting her off.

"_What_?" She stares down at him in shock, giggling in surprise.

"Marry me?" He repeats, stroking her side lovingly. "Like, not _today_." He adds, flushing when he realises how that sounds. "Just . . . one day. Will you marry me?"

She continues to stare at him, before a grin breaks out on her face and she leans down, capturing her lips with his. He responds instantly, tilting his head to deepen the kiss as she runs one of her hands through his hair and uses the other to support her weight so he can still breathe.

"I–Is that a 'yes'?" He asks, pulling back from her. She nods vigorously, pressing their lips back together. His tongue runs along her lip and she gasps slightly, opening her mouth to him. He slips it into her mouth and she jolts slightly as his tongue brushes against hers, pulling back. She stares at him in surprise and he flushes darkly. "S–Sorry." He says instantly, removing his hands from her waist.

"It's okay." She clears her throat nervously. "I–I was just . . . surprised."

He nods his agreement and hesitantly puts his hands back on her waist. He chews his lip nervously and glances between her eyes and her lips. "Mari, I don't know what I'm doing." He blurts out quickly, feeling his cheeks flush even more.

She shakes her head slightly, her own cheeks flushing. "Neither do I." A relieved smile breaks out on his face and she leans a little closer to him. "But, um . . ." She swallows nervously. "I probably know more than you do."

He nods. "Yeah. That seems to be the trend." She snorts, hiding her face in his neck. "I mean, the miraculous', Hawkmoth's potential identity." She pulls her face away from his neck to glare at him, and he smirks. "Periods."

She rolls her eyes. "Considering I get them roughly twelve times a year, you'd expect I know more about them then you."

His eyes widen. "You get them _twelve_ times a year?"

"Well, yeah. Most menstrual cycles go for about twenty–eight days, give or take. That's basically once a month." She shrugs slightly.

"Oh . . . I kind of thought you just got it once."

She giggles, nuzzling her nose against his in an Eskimo kiss. "No. Although I wouldn't mind that at this point. I'm sure when I'm older and I want to have kids I'd want it to be once a month."

"I still don't get that." He says, glancing away from her nervously. "What does bleeding have to do with a baby?"

"Remember? A period is the lining of the uterus that is, like, built up for the egg to attach to if it's fertilised by sperm. If the egg isn't fertilised, the lining isn't needed so we shed it."

"Fertilised?" He frowns, confused. "Isn't that the smelly dirt you put on a garden?"

She snorts, rolling off of him. "That's fertiliser, Adrien." She giggles and he flushes slightly, but grins sheepishly. "If you're confused by the term some people call it 'insemination'."

He frowns again. "That . . . doesn't exactly sound good."

She hums in agreement, tapping her fingers against her stomach. "As opposed to smelly dirt?" She smirks at him.

He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh at the naïve guy." She giggles. "So, does it last for the whole twenty–eight days?"

"The period?"

"Yeah."

"No. Periods last an average of five to seven days, but they can go for longer or shorter. The menstrual cycle is measured from the first day of your period." She glances at him to see if he's catching on. "So, I got my period two Saturdays ago, so that was the first day of my menstrual cycle for this month, whereas the Friday beforehand was the last day of my menstrual cycle for last month, I just didn't know because I hadn't gotten my period yet." She bites her lip nervously. "Is this making sense?"

"Um . . . not really."

She exhales through her nose, chewing on her lip. He's about to say something when she suddenly leans over him and reaches for her phone. She lays down beside him, her side pressed flush against his, and he watches her go into an app. She presses one of the tabs and a calendar pops up.

"This is my period tracking app; it helps me keep track of when my period is supposed to arrive and how many days it will last for based on my previous cycles." She passes her phone to him and he scrolls up through her calendar, taking note of the red dots on the days signifying when she was on her period.

"What are the blue dots?" She frowns slightly, and he points to one, about three weeks earlier.

"Oh, that's my fertility window." He frowns. "When my egg is released. If I wanted to get pregnant, that's when the . . . conception should happen, because I would have a higher chance of getting pregnant then because my egg is travelling down my fallopian tube."

"Oh," He studies the calendar a little more. "So, you can only get pregnant on your fertility window?"

"No. You can get pregnant anytime, even when you're on your period. It's just more likely when you're ovulating. That's what the fertility window is; when you're ovulating."

"Oh, I get it." He smiles at her. "You release an egg and if the sperm doesn't go into it you shed the uterus and then–"

"Uterus lining."

"Right. The lining, and then it repeats itself until you do get pregnant?" He raises an eyebrow at her, asking it he's actually got it.

She nods and shrugs. "Pretty much. There's probably more to it, but I'm not sure how to explain it."

He looks back at the calendar, before passing her phone back to her. She turns it off. "So, uh . . ." He swallows nervously. "Does that mean you're not on your period anymore?"

"Yep. I'll be on it again in, like, two and a half weeks? Maybe? What day is it?"

"Monday."

She stares at him with wide eyes. "It's _still_ Monday?"


	36. Stages of Grief

**Chapter Thirty Six – Stages of Grief**

When Adrien said that his father wanted to meet her formally, she didn't realise how 'formally'.

"You're wearing a suit?" She raises an incredulous eyebrow at him.

"Uh, yeah."

"To dinner? With your father and girlfriend? In your own home?"

"Yep." He smiles briefly, scratching the back of his head. "I, uh . . . I understand if you d–don't want to, and–"

"It's not that!" She rushes to reassure him cupping his cheeks so her looks at her. "It's just a little . . ."

"Weird?"

She nods. "Yeah weird. And . . . it kind of puts a lot more pressure on this."

He sighs and holds onto her wrists gently, keeping her hands on his cheeks. "I think my dad feeds off of people's pressure." He glances at her. "I swear, if someone isn't sweating, he'll purposely turn the heat up."

She giggles. "Your dad has a sweat kink?" His cheeks flush and he stares at her in shock, and she bursts out laughing. "I'm kidding."

"I know, it's just . . ." His flush darkens. "You said 'kink'."

She rolls her eyes and pushes his shoulder in feigned annoyance. "Oh my _God_, you are such a boy!" He snorts, but before he can respond, they hear someone coming up the stairs.

"Adrien! I thought I heard your voice." Sabine smiles at him and he returns it, walking over to kiss her cheek in greeting. "You look very nice." She smooths her hands over his shoulders, as if brushing dust off his suit jacket. "I thought you were just having dinner at home."

He smiles slightly, ducking his head in embarrassment. "We are."

"Oh." He glances up at her and she smiles quickly, but he doesn't miss her frown in confusion. "You look nice, dear." She beams at her daughter, who's eyes widen and she looks down at her outfit.

"I need to change!"

"No, you d–" Before Adrien can finish his protest, she's sprinted back up the stairs to her room.

Sabine giggles. "Just let her be. We've closed the bakery for the day, but Tom's downstairs preparing some treats for tomorrow if you want to wait with him."

He smiles, grateful. "Yes please."

. . .

Since Adrien can't cook himself – and because his dad will skin him alive if he shows up with flour on his suit – he settles for watching Tom prepare ingredients for pastries, make pie bases, and finish serving a couple of tarts that have to go in the fridge to settle overnight.

"So, do you always wear suits to dinner with you dad?" Tom asks after a while, glancing up from where he's moulding some dough to fit into a pie tray.

"Not always. He lets me know when we're having a formal or semi–formal dinner. Otherwise I can just wear what I was already wearing."

Tom frowns at him, confused. "Semi–formal?"

"I don't have to wear a tie."

He smiles. "Do you know what you're having for dinner?"

As Adrien lists off what they could be having for dinner (he's not sure, but it's usually the same few dishes), Tom watches how his eyes dance to him then away, as if he's not supposed to make eye contact. For a boy he knows has been brought up to be polite and confident – the look–people–in–the–eye type of confident – he noticed the first time they met that he spends most of his time interacting with adults staring at the floor.

"So, it's a three–course meal?"

He nods slightly. "Yes." He shifts uncomfortably, wringing his hands together in front of him.

Tom takes pity on the boy and tries to move onto lighter subjects, but when he asks about school and his fencing, the boy just seems to get tenser and more closed off, although he still manages to be polite and it's _infuriating_.

"What do you do for fun?" He asks eventually, grappling at straws.

Adrien looks up at him in surprise. "Fun?"

"Yes. Do you play video games? An instrument? Marinette told me that you play the piano."

He nods slightly. "I do. Father likes it." His jaw tenses slightly and he looks at his shoes. There's some flour on them from walking across the floor, and he can't help but smile slightly. He wonders if his father would notice if he doesn't wipe it off. He wonders how much trouble he would be in for rebelling against the rules.

"Do you enjoy it?" The question throws him and he looks back at the baker. He's starting to see where Marinette gets her personality from.

"Um . . . sometimes. Most of the time." He bites his lip anxiously and looks back at his shoes. He wonders if his father will even look at him long enough to notice.

Tom sighs, scratching his head. "You play Ultimate Mecha Strike III, though?" The boy nods, and Tom almost jumps for joy when he smiles and finally looks him in the eye.

"I still haven't been able to beat Marinette."

Tom laughs heartily, his laugh reverberating around the bakery. Adrien jumps slightly at the noise, before giggling. "No one can beat that girl." He smiles fondly, thinking of his daughter. "And speak of the devil!" He says when he glances into the hallway and sees Marinette standing there, looking at the two of them with a soft smile.

She frowns at him good–naturedly. "I'm not a devil!"

"No," He agrees, kissing her cheek. "You're an angle. And I'd hug you but then that pretty dress of yours would be covered in flour."

She giggles and her eyes shift to Adrien. Tom follows her gaze and he feels his heart swell at the love–struck expression on the boy's face. "Do I look okay?" She asks self–consciously, nervously smoothing out the front of her dress. He stammers something, and Tom holds in a snort. They're just _so_ cute.

"You look beautiful." Adrien says earnestly, and her smile widens. She ducks her head in embarrassment.

"Um, I saw Raymond outside." She says, pointing towards the street.

He nods and moves towards her. "Right, we should, uh . . ." He points towards the street as well and she giggles. "B–Bye sir." He holds his hand out to the baker, who shakes it heartily before planting a kiss on his cheek. He stares at him in surprise, and Tom laughs.

"You're French, son. You should be used to kisses!" Adrien giggles nervously, cheeks flushed darkly. "Have fun!"

"We will!" Marinette grabs Adrien's hand and interlaces their fingers, before giving him a gentle tug to get him moving. "Bye Dad."

"B–Bye S–_Tom_." Adrien waves at him, grinning broadly, and Tom resists the urge to record them leaving, especially when Adrien opens the door for her and does a little bow, making her giggle before doing a curtsy.

. . .

In the end, Gabriel doesn't even join them for dinner. Nathalie tells them that he is working and will not be disturbed. Adrien doesn't even try to argue that _he_ was the one who wanted them to have dinner; he knows it's a moot point.

"Dinner will be served in the dining room in half an hour," Nathalie tells them stoically. "The first course is–"

"That's okay." Adrien says, gripping Marinette's hand tighter. He tries his best to smile at her reassuringly, but he fails miserably. She, herself, looks like she wants to cry on his behalf. "Could we just have something in my room?"

Nathalie looks like she's about to protest, but then she nods. "Very well."

Adrien smiles at her briefly in thanks and leads Marinette towards his room. She pauses at the stairs where the painting of him and his father is and her frown deepens. When her gaze shifts to him the amount of hurt in her eyes almost breaks his heart.

"Is your dad like that all the time?" She asks as soon as he's shut his bedroom door.

"Like what?" He moves to walk past her but she grabs his shoulders and holds him in place.

"Cold?" His gaze flicks to hers and he feels tears prick in his eyes. She wraps her arms around him and he almost collapses against her, hiding his face in her neck. He breaths in her scent, trying to calm down.

"He got worse after Mum . . ." He swallows uneasily. "After she disappeared. Chloé recons he's just working through the stages of grief and is stuck in denial."

"What about you?"

"Me?" He pulls back from her neck to see her expression. There's a tear running down her cheek and he kisses it away.

"You're grieving too." She slides her hands up to cup his cheeks and he leans into her touch.

"I . . ." He glances away from her, at the picture of him and his mother before she disappeared. "I guess I'm somewhere near acceptance." He glances back a her. "I know I'm not angry."

She frowns and her bottom lip quivers. "That's your problem." She shakes her head sadly. "You don't get angry."

"Why is that a problem?"

She doesn't reply, she just pulls his head down and presses their lips together. He relaxes his hold on her and runs his hand up to her hair, tangling his fingers through her soft locks. He can feel a little stiffness from the hairspray she used to keep her curls in place, but he doesn't even feel guilty that he's messing it up. She pushes up against him and he stumbles back a step, his back hitting his bedroom door. She pulls back briefly to check he's okay before tilting her head and kissing him again.

He relishes in the feeling of her lithe frame against him, the feeling of her fingers caressing his cheeks, the little sounds she makes when he gets bolder and introduces his tongue again. This time she expects it, and opens her mouth to him without hesitation. He hums when her hands thread through his hair, not caring that she's messing it up after he spent ages getting it perfect. She shifts slightly, unintentionally rolling her hips against his and he moans. She softens the kiss again, pulling back slightly, and he can't help the disappointment settling in his heart when he realises that their little bubble is coming to an end.

"You need to be angry." She whispers, a hairsbreadth away from his lips.

"What?" He pants, still trying to catch his breath. Thankfully, she's in the same boat.

"You need to be angry." She reiterates, shifting her hands from his hair to rest on his chest.

"N–No, I don't." He shakes his head, gripping the waist of her dress to have something to anchor himself too.

"Adrien," She shakes her head sadly again and grips his lapels. "You have to feel you're anger. You need to let it out. If you don't it just turns inwards."

"I won't let that happen." He tries to reassure her, but tears fill her eyes again.

"You already have."

"No! I, I haven't." He leans towards her, trying to get her to see that he's fine.

"I saw that picture." She strokes her thumb along his cheek and he leans into her touch. "I saw how much you were hurting. I've seen it before. A lot." He bites his lip. "I love you, Adrien, but you can't love someone else if you don't love yourself."

"B–But I love you!" He tightens his arms around her, clinging onto her desperately. _She can't leave him too!_

"I don't doubt that."

He frowns, confused, although relief floods through his veins. "Th–Then why–"

She kisses him lightly, but pulls back when he moves to return the kiss. "Because you need to be angry. You need to scream to the heavens and break something you shouldn't. And then you need to love yourself, because it's not fair on your heart if it's taken up entirely by other people instead of the only one who really matters." Her hand shifts so it's over his heart, and she smiles softly at the faint feeling of his heart beating against her fingers. "You."


	37. Monster

**Chapter Thirty Seven – Monster**

Adrien isn't surprised to see Raymond waiting for him when he, Marinette and Kagami walk out of school at lunch time (Chloé's spending the day with her mum, and Nino's at a café with Alya), but a shiver runs down his spine when he sees Nathalie in the passenger seat.

"Do you have a photoshoot?" Kagami asks and he shakes his head.

"Not that I'm aware of." He scratches the back of his neck, biting his lip nervously.

"Tatsu's here." Kagami says, seeing the car pull up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye," Marinette says, waving at her. "You're not in trouble, are you?" She asks, looking at Adrien in concern.

"Um . . . I don't think so?" Marinette giggles and he smiles. "I'm about to find out." He mutters when he sees Nathalie roll her window down. He walks over dutifully. "Hi Nathalie."

"Adrien, your father would like you to return home for lunch."

He bites his lip and looks over his shoulder at Marinette, where she's waiting at the bottom of the stairs. She smiles at him nervously. "I'm sorry," He says, looking back at Nathalie. "I already made plans to have lunch with Marinette."

Her gaze flicks to said girl, before she looks back at Adrien. "This isn't negotiable, Adrien. Marinette has been asked to join you for lunch, and your father wishes to speak with you." She glances back at the girl. "He wants to meet her."

"He was supposed to meet her last night." Adrien grumbles, but nods his agreement reluctantly. "I'll _ask_ her."

Marinette knows something is wrong as soon as Adrien starts walking over to her. She frowns, every crevice of her face filled with concern, but she offers him a small smile when he lifts his gaze from the ground to look at her. He returns her gesture.

"You look like a wet day." She says, trying to lift his mood.

He snorts, wringing his hands together. "Father wants to speak with me. Nathalie said he also wants you to join us for lunch, but you don't have to if you don't want to." He bites his lip nervously.

Truthfully, Marinette would love nothing more than to never return to Adrien's house. It's so cold there, and she can tell just from walking through the door that it isn't a happy place. The expression on his face in the picture above the stairs still haunts her every time she closes her eyes. She has no idea why Gabriel would choose that picture to hang in such a noticeable place.

"No, I want to." She says, smile widening. The look he gives her lets her know he knows she's lying, but she can tell from the way his smile turns genuine that he appreciates it.

"I love you," He whispers, before kissing her cheek.

"Dork," She whispers back. He snorts.

. . .

Just like they did the night before, they eat in Adrien's room, sitting on the floor with a blanket spread out beneath them as if they're having a picnic. Tikki and Plagg dart around his room after they've been given their respective treats, and they giggle when they hear Tikki hit Plagg with the foosball ball. This starts a battle between the kwami's, who dart between the players and try to hit each other with the ball. Marinette and Adrien, having walked over to watch, are so caught up in the battle it takes Nathalie physically opening his bedroom door and calling his name for any of them to notice.

"Your father is waiting for you in his office." She tells him stoically.

He glances back at Plagg, but he makes a face and picks up the ball, silently asking to stay behind. Adrien sighs. "I'll be right back," He says, looking at Marinette but directing his question to all three of them.

"I'll be here." She says, squeezing his hand in support.

The walk down to his father's office is silent. Every step closer makes Adrien's shoulder's tenser, but he doesn't let it show. If there are two things his father hates it's a bad posture and an expression that reveals one's emotions. They arrive at the office door and Nathalie tells him to wait outside before entering.

"Is she here?" Gabriel asks, hearing Nathalie enter.

"Yes." She says, frowning slightly when she sees he's still staring at the portrait of Emilie. He's been doing that more and more lately, as if to remind himself what he's doing all of this for. "She's waiting in Adrien's room."

"In his room?"

"Yes." She hesitates slightly, and can't help but feel like she's invading on Adrien's privacy. "That's where they ate lunch. It looks like they set up a picnic." She adds, afraid she will be reprimanded for allowing them to eat away from the dining room.

Gabriel turns to regard her. "Bring her here in ten minutes; Adrien should have come to his senses by then."

"Yes sir."

. . .

"Does Adrien actually use his rock–climbing wall?" Marinette asks Plagg, watching the kwami's kicks the foosball ball back and forth, their battle having concluded when Marinette threatened to give them no more cheese sticks or chocolate chip cookies because they had gotten a little too loud.

"Nope." He grins at her. "The only thing in his room he uses is the bathroom, his bed and his computer."

"He doesn't even use this?" She asks, turning one of the handles to make the row of players spin.

"It's not really a single player game." Plagg points out.

"I suppose not." She says quietly. She glances at her phone, noting that it's been over ten minutes since Adrien left. She hopes it's going okay. Before she can ask Plagg another question – probably about what's on his second level – a knock sounds on Adrien's bedroom door and Nathalie opens it.

"Mr Agreste would like to meet you now." She says, and Marinette frowns slightly at her tone. She can't help but feel like it's regretful. Guilty, even. She puts it down to her thinking Marinette is enjoying her time alone in Adrien's (apparently very unused) room.

"Of course." She holds her purse open subtly and Plagg and Tikki dart inside quickly. "Would you like me to pack up our picnic?" She asks, stopping in front of it.

"No."

She's a little shocked by Nathalie's bluntness, but puts it down to her being on a tight schedule. She follows her down the hallway to the stairs, and this time she doesn't look at the picture. She doesn't think she'd be able to look at it a second time without crying.

Marinette looks up in surprise when she hears yelling and she pauses on the staircase. Nathalie does the same, and she seems to hesitate before putting a hand on Marinette's shoulder to guide her forward. As they near the office, the nonsensical yelling turns into words.

"–you think I want her back _that_ bad? That I want to _endanger innocent people_ just so we can play house for a little while?" They hear Adrien scream, and Marinette puts a hand over her mouth in shock. Nathalie's grip on Marinette's shoulder tightens. She's not sure if it's to anchor herself or to stop the girl from entering the office.

"This is the only way Adrien. Without Ladybug and your Miraculous–"

"She's _gone_, Father! _Don't you hear yourself_? You're talking of bringing someone back from the _dead_!" There's a loud smack, and then Adrien cries out. They hear him stumble back a step, and his breathing grow irregular, as if he's sobbing.

"Do you _not_ want your mother back?" Gabriel growls, and Marinette starts shaking, fear making adrenaline rush through her body. "The wish is the _only_ thing that will bring her back to me! Back to us! To _you_!"

_Adrien_ . . . _gone_ . . . _mother_ . . .

Nathalie's grip tightens on her shoulder and tears prick in Marinette's eyes.

_Ladybug_ . . . _Miraculous_ . . . _wish_ . . .

"Not like this." They hear Adrien say, his voice eerily calm.

_Hawk Moth_.

"_How dare you_–"

The office door slams open and Adrien storms through, one hand clutching his cheek where his father–_Gabriel_ slapped him. He almost runs into Marinette and Nathalie, but looks up just in time. He stumbles back a step, his gaze not leaving Nathalie's.

She frowns, concerned, and reaches out to him. "Adrien–"

"You're a _monster_! _You're both_ _monsters_!" He screams. She steps back, putting a hand over her mouth in shock. Tears prick her eyes, but Adrien doesn't care that he's hurt her. He grabs Marinette's hand and pulls her after him, running back to his room.

"A–Adrien–" She starts to say as they enter his room, but he bursts into tears. "Adrien, it's going to be okay."

"No, it's not!" He wipes his cheeks furiously, locking the door so they can't get in. "It's _never_ going to be okay. My _dad_ . . . _he_–" He breaks down sobbing and collapses against her. "Monster," He whimpers.

"I know, I know," She murmurs, doing her best to comfort him. She knows that there is very little she can do. One thing she does know, however, is that there is no way they can stay here. "Adrien, I know that this is the last thing you want to hear but we need to leave. We need to go somewhere safe, somewhere _you_ feel safe."

He stares at her, tears running down his cheeks and his upper lip shiny with snot. He wipes his cheeks again, his tears making the red mark on his cheek from Gabriel's hand stand out. "You're house." He whimpers.

She nods, kissing his cheek where the mark is. The taste of his tears against her lips breaks her heart. "Okay. We'll go there. Mum and Dad will understand."

"They will?" His voice comes out so childlike she almost cries.

"Yes."

Realising he's too numb and too shocked to think coherently; she guides him over to his bed and sits him down before running to his closet and grabbing an empty gym bag. She stuffs some clothes inside, as well as an extra pair of shoes and a hat, before moving to the cupboard where Plagg's mini fridge is and putting as many wheels of camembert inside as she can fit. She sets the bag at Adrien's feet, and he stares at it hopelessly, sobbing quietly. She runs into his bathroom and gabs his toothbrush, deodorant and shaver and puts them in the bag as well. She picks up the few framed photos he has and puts them inside the bag carefully.

"Is there anything you want to take with you?" She asks, zipping the bag shut.

He gets up silently and goes to his desk. He opens the bottom draw and rifles through a stack of papers and notebooks until he pulls out a shoe box tied shut with duct tape. He clutches it to his chest, and she swings the duffle bag onto her shoulder.

"If we transform it will be faster." He nods numbly. "Tikki, spots–"

The bedroom door bursts open before she can finish and Raymond stares at them in shock. His eyes take in the locked door – which he _thinks_ he just broke – the bags, and Adrien's tears, and he simply nods at them sadly and shuts the door again. He pretends not to hear them call for their transformations, or see the green and pink lights that shoot under the door.


	38. Telling the Parents

**Chapter Thirty Eight – Telling the Parents**

Ladybug and Cat Noir dive through Marinette's trap door and land on her bed. Ladybug immediately releases her transformation and puts the gym bag down. Cat gets his words out between sobs and sinks to his knees as his transformation is released. Marinette sits next to him and puts her arms around him, and he immediately leans into her, turning his head to hide his face in her neck.

"Kid?" Plagg asks, patting his knee in what little comfort he can offer the boy.

"Give them some time." Tikki says quietly, leading him away.

"I should have gone with him." Plagg growls, but Tikki shakes her head.

"It wouldn't have made a difference. You know that."

Adrien wraps his arms around Marinette's waist tightly and practically moulds himself against her. She does her best trying to comfort him, stroking her fingers through his hair and running her hand up his back, but the sobs keep coming, and his tears soak her shirt.

"He's Hawk Moth, Mari." He cries, and she squeezes her eyes closed to stop her own tears from slipping out. "He's Hawk Moth."

"Shh," She soothes, rubbing his back methodically. She massages his scalp, knowing that usually makes him feel good.

She eventually manages to manoeuvre them so they're laying down, and he clings onto her tightly, resting his head on her shoulder. His tears start to subside as his emotional exhaustion takes over, until he relaxes against her completely. She waits for his breathing to deepen, signalling that he's fast asleep, before pulling away from him.

"I have to go talk to my parents." She says to Tikki, Plagg having already gone up to the boy and snuggled into his neck, purring to help calm him.

Tikki nods, expression filled with concern. "I'll come and get you if he wakes up."

Marinette nods, glancing up at her bed reluctantly, before going downstairs. She changes her mind and takes him up a glass of water, knowing that all of his crying is sure to have made him thirsty, before going down to the bakery. She waits for her mum to finish serving a customer before making her presence known.

"Marinette? Shouldn't you be at school?" Sabine asks, checking the time. "What are you doing here? I thought you went home with Adrien for lunch?" Before she can stop herself, the tears Marinette had been holding in burst out of her. "Oh, honey, what's wrong? Tom? Tom!" She falls into her mum's embrace as her dad rushes over.

"What is it sweetie?" He asks, wrapping his arms around his two girls.

"It's not Lila, is it?" Sabine asks, and Marinette shakes her head, before pulling back from her parents' embrace. They stare at her worryingly.

"I–It's Adrien's dad." She sobs, wiping her cheeks. "He's Hawk Moth."

"_Hawk Moth_?" Tom asks, gripping her shoulders. She nods pitifully.

"Oh, that poor boy." Sabine says, putting her hand over her heart. Tears well in her eyes at the thought of what Adrien must be going through.

"Did Adrien know?" Tom asks.

"He just found out. W–We both did. And Nathalie's Mayura." She sniffs, wiping the last of her tears away. Now isn't the time for crying. "I don't know what happened. Gabriel wanted to talk to Adrien alone, and then Nathalie came and got me, and we heard them yelling, and then Gabriel started talking about Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous', a–and–" She squeezes her eyes closed and clenches her fists. "He hit him."

"Gabriel? He hit Adrien?" Tom demands, cupping his daughter's cheek so she opens her eyes.

She nods. "His cheek." She cries. Tom pulls her into a hug. "I don't know what Gabriel said to him, but Adrien disagreed with him so he . . . he . . . and then we packed some of Adrien's things and came here."

"Adrien's here?" Sabine asks, looking around the store as if he's hiding.

"He's asleep in my room." She pulls back from her dad and gives them a look of determination. "He can't go home."

"No," Tom agrees, anger building inside him. _What kind of father hits his own child?_ _What kind of father _endangers_ his own child?_ "No, he'll stay here with us."

"I'll call the school and tell them you're both here." Sabine says, but Marinette shakes her head.

"Don't mention Adrien, they may call Gabriel and then he'll know where he is." Sabine nods sadly and goes upstairs to call from the privacy of her and Tom's bedroom.

"What are we going to do about that man being Hawk Moth?" Tom asks, and Marinette shakes her head.

"I don't know. If it was anyone else I'd call the police without a second thought, but he's Adrien's father." She sniffs again, and Tom wraps her in another embrace. She clings onto him like he's her life support. "In some ways . . ."

"It feels like it should be Adrien's decision?" Tom finishes, and she nods sadly.

"Dad, what if Gabriel comes here?"

Tom sighs sadly and rubs her back soothingly. "Unfortunately, there isn't a lot we can do; Adrien is his son, and he has parental rights over him. We can't keep Adrien here if Gabriel doesn't allow it."

"He won't." Marinette says. "He'll want him to go back to keeping him under lock and key. Maybe even more than he did before."

"Poor kid." Tom shakes his head sadly, before tilting it back and blinking to keep his tears form falling.

. . .

Adrien blinks his eyes open to the mattress dipping and he lifts his head from where it's buried in the pillow. Marinette smiles at him softly and smooths his hair back from his forehead, before settling next to him. He snuggles into her, inhaling her scent.

"I talked to Mum and Dad." She murmurs and he tenses instantly. She continues running her fingers through his hair. "They said you can stay here for as long as you want, and that you shouldn't contact your father."

He nods against her, squeezing his eyes closed. "I won't." He sniffs, tears picking his eyes again. "I don't want to see him ever again."

"I know," She presses a kiss to his temple and he hums quietly, pressing even closer to her. He wraps a leg around hers so she's encaged against him. "You don't have to if you don't want to; we'll sort this." He nods again, and a tear falls from his eye despite his best efforts. She kisses it away and he whimpers.

They stay like that for a few moments, before Adrien sees the glass of water she left for him and he realises how dry and sore his throat is from crying. They sit up and he sips it periodically, leaning against her side. Her hand doesn't leave his, and she runs her thumb over his miraculous, stroking it. He's never let anyone feel his miraculous before, but so long as it's Marinette he's fine with it. He's about to ask her if they can cuddle again when they hear the faint ringing of the school bell, signalling the end of the day.

"What if he akumatises me?" He blurts, letting out one of his biggest fears. He looks at her with fear–filled eyes.

She smiles softly and kisses his cheek. "You do realise you're sitting next to Ladybug, right?"

He snorts and nuzzles his nose against her cheek, before scooting down slightly to rest his head against her shoulder. "I forgot," He confesses. "When I look at you, I just see you." She runs her fingers through his hair and he hums, letting his eyes close. He blinks them open when her fingers brush against his, but she's just taking his empty glass.

"Do you want anything to eat? I can go get you some macaroons? Or a croissant?"

He shakes his head slightly, wrapping an arm around her waist and cuddling closer to her. "I'm not hungry."

She runs her fingers through his hair and watches Plagg and Tikki chase each other around the room, trying to distract themselves. His head gets heavier on her shoulder, and his breathing evens out. If it wasn't for his thumb stroking her side, she'd assume he's asleep. There's a knock on her trap door and he tenses, tightening his grip on her. Plagg and Tikki dart into hiding as it opens

"Kids?" Tom says quietly, not wanting to disturb Adrien if he's asleep.

"You can come in, Dad."

Tom smiles at them sadly and walks over to the bed, reaching over the railing to put his hand on Adrien's knee. "How you doing, son?" The boy shrugs slightly, glancing at him briefly before looking away. "That's understandable. We got a call from your father's assistant, but we told her that neither of you have returned yet, and we thought you were at school."

"Thanks." Marinette says, smiling sadly at her dad. Adrien's bottom lip trembles and he hides his face in her shoulder.

"Do you want to come and have something to eat?" Adrien shakes his head without lifting it. Tom pats his knee. "How about we put a movie on downstairs? You haven't watched _The Aristocats_ have you?"

Adrien rises his head and smiles softly. "No, sir."

Tom grins, squeezing his knee in comfort. "I'll set it up for you. And I've told you before, son, call me Tom." He frowns at him sternly, but its ruined by the broad smile he can't wipe off his face. Adrien smiles shyly and nods. "Great. Last one on the couch is a rotten egg!"


	39. Butterflies

**Chapter Thirty Nine – Butterflies**

Adrien stares into the back of the couch, willing his brain to shut the hell up so he can go to sleep. He can hear Plagg snoring under the couch – he insisted on sleeping there at Tikki's insistence that, as bakers, Tom and Sabine get up quite early and it wouldn't be good for him to be seen – and while on most nights it can be just a little irritating, on this night it's point–blank infuriating. He rolls onto his back and looks up at the ceiling where he thinks Marinette's bed is. She tried to get him to sleep in her bed so she could take the couch, but he was hearing none of it. It was more than enough letting him stay with her and her family; putting her out of her bed is out of the question.

He rolls back onto his side and snuggles further into the back of the couch, hoping that will make him feel safer. Every time he closes his eyes he sees his father's face; his father's _smile_. The look in his father's eye right before he slapped him haunts him every time he closes his eyes. He has seen his father look at people with that much hatred and fury before, but he has never before been on the receiving end of it. That one look was enough to chill him to his bones, while his slap made his nerve endings feel like he was on fire.

Tears prick in his eyes and he whimpers loudly before he can stop himself. He slips a hand over his mouth to suppress his sobs and his tears soak into his pillow. He hears Marinette's trap door open and he tries to make it look like he's asleep and not crying. He hears her walks down a few steps, pause, and then continue. Her bare feet rustle against the lounge room rug, and she must bump her knee against the couch because it jolts slightly and she hisses. He almost smiles, but the tears keep coming.

The couch cushions dip slightly as she sits down, and he feels her lift his blanket, and then her legs brush against his. She adjusts the blanket over them, making sure they're both covered, before wrapping an arm around his waist and resting her head against his. He takes his hand off his mouth and grabs hers, interlacing their fingers lightly. She sighs against him, snuggling closer. After a moment she starts humming, and she slips her hand from his grasp to rub his side in soothing strokes.

His eyes start to close as sleep starts to take a hold of him. "Night," He murmurs, before giving in.

. . .

Adrien wakes to Marinette asleep on the floor in between the couch and the coffee table. He smiles down at her fondly, before draping his blanket over her. He uses the bathroom before going up to her room and climbing through her skylight. The sun is only just starting to come up, and he leans against the railing and lets the cool morning breeze mess up his bed head and try to clear his brain. He looks out over the park and watches the birds dart between the trees. He spots three early morning walkers – one with a dog – before the skylight opens behind him.

Marinette smiles at him sadly and leans against the railing next to him, close but not touching. She doesn't want to make him feel pressured, and she's not sure if he'll be as tactile today as he was before. Any doubts immediately leave her, however, when he shifts closer to her until their sides are flush.

"You didn't have to sleep with me." He says eventually.

"I know." She smiles softly and closes her eyes, relishing in the feeling of the wind billowing her hair gently. "You didn't have to hide your tears." She hears him sighs and she opens her eyes to catch his expression.

"Fath–_Gabriel_ doesn't like me showing emotions." He swallows uneasily. "He thinks that if you show someone how you feel, they can use it against you."

"Adrien–"

"He was right." He turns his head to look at her, and her lip quivers at how red and puffy his eyes are from crying. "Showing him my emotions meant he could use them against me." He sniffs and looks away from her again.

"He was wrong to do that, Adrien." Marinette says, following his gaze. "Emotions aren't these things we need to keep hidden; they're not something that should be manipulated or abused. The way he treated you isn't right."

"It wasn't always bad." He glances at her briefly. "Losing Mum did something to him. It's . . . it's like his heart has frozen."

"If he ever had one." Marinette mutters. He looks at her sharply, and she sighs. "Adrien, he hurt you. and you may not see that as a big of a deal as I do, but I'm not about to stand around and make excuses for a man like that."

"Mari–"

"I get that he's your dad and you love him, but he can't love you." She shakes her head, tears pricking in her eyes. Adrien refuses to look at her, turning his head to the side so she can't see his expression. "You can't love someone if you hurt, manipulate and exploit them. You may not see it that way, but that's what he has been doing to you." She sighs sadly and slips her hand over his. She holds her breath, anxiety flooding through her veins, until he flips his hand over and interlaces their fingers. "You didn't see anything wrong with it because it had been happening for so long." He sniffs again and turns his head to look at her. Tears run down his cheeks and she stands up from the railing, using her free hand to caress his cheek and wipe his tears away. He leans into her touch.

"He didn't love me." Adrien says, sniffing again.

"In some twisted way . . . it only felt like love because you didn't know what other box to put it in." He sobs and wraps his free arm around her waist, leaning down to hide his face in her neck.

"When he hit me . . ." He starts, and her hand moves from his cheek to slide between his shoulder blades, hugging him closer to her. "He was so _cold_, and he had so much hatred in his eyes it was like I wasn't even his son."

"Adrien," She whimpers, blinking back her own tears.

"He wanted our Miraculous' to get Mum back." He pulls back from her but keeps his arm around her waist, clutching the fabric of her singlet in his hand. "He wanted to wish her better, so everything could go back to how it was before."

Marinette doesn't know what to say to that. She doesn't know if there is anything that _can_ be said.

"I thought she was dead." He whispers, tears running down his cheeks again. She shifts her hand back to his cheek and wipes them away, before kissing one that's run down to his jaw. He inhales sharply at the feeling of her lips against him. "I kept saying she had disappeared because that's how he explained it." He rolls his eyes, sniffing again. "'Your mother has disappeared, but I will get her back'." He mocks Gabriel's voice, his cold tone. "If . . . if I knew he was endangering everyone to get her back . . ." He shakes his head, and removes his hand briefly from around her waist to wipe a tear that's running down her cheek. He puts his arm back around her, pulling her a little closer to him.

"Where is she?" She whispers the question, not sure if she even wants to know the answer.

He laughs unhumorously. "In our house." Her eyes widen. "In his lair; where he keeps his bloody butterflies." He sniffs again. "I hate butterflies."

"They're the worst."

"Terrifying." He swallows, his throat sore from all of his crying. "I liked them when I was little, but now I can't look at one without thinking about fighting akumas."

"It doesn't make sense." She mutters.

He frowns slightly. "Well, when you, I mean _Ladybug_, releases the akuma, it's a butterfly, so–"

"Not that." She looks up at him, expression filled with confusion. "If his akumas are butterflies and he has the butterfly miraculous, why isn't he called 'Hawk Butterfly'?"

"Seriously?" Adrien raises an eyebrow at her, but a smile tugs at his lips. "_That's_ what you're focusing on?"


	40. Moth or Butterfly

**Chapter Forty – Moth or Butterfly**

"It's a moth. I think." Marinette scratches her head, frowning at the Google search open on her phone.

"What is?" Adrien glances up from his uneaten cereal.

"A hawk moth. I think it's a moth."

Adrien rolls his eyes fondly. "You're still on that?"

"It's _annoying_!" She exclaims, throwing her hands up in frustration. Her movement knocks her spoon out of her bowl and it hits her lap before falling to the floor. She sighs, lifting her shirt up to lick the milk of the hem of it. He glances away quickly when he sees a little too much skin. "Why couldn't he just be 'Butterfly' or . . . 'Butter Man'?"

"'Butter Man'?"

"'Fly Guy'?" He snorts. "That makes him sound kind of cool though." She makes a face.

"I mean, 'Hawk Moth' isn't the worst name he's come up with." He lifts the spoon to his mouth and takes a bite; making those three soggy, milked–down pieces of cereal the first thing he's eaten since lunch the previous day. "I think the worst one was 'Kung Food'."

"Hey!" She glares at him. "That's my great uncle you're talking about!"

"_He_ didn't choose his name!" He giggles and takes another bite.

Marinette smiles slyly, realising her distraction technique is working. "Well . . . I think 'Bubbler' was a horrible one too."

He gapes at her. "That's not fair! Nino didn't get to choose his name, either."

She giggles, watching him take another bite of cereal. "I do have to say, besides the endangering citizens part, Gigantitan was probably my favourite akuma."

He tilts his head at her, chewing his cereal thoughtfully before swallowing. "Why?"

"He was _so cute_!" She grins at him and he raises an eyebrow. "I mean, not as the akuma, but as the baby." She thinks back to the battle. "Okay, also as the akuma. Scary, but cute."

He shrugs and stirs his cereal around his bowl, before taking another bite. "I guess so."

He leans back in his chair and nudges her foot under the table to annoy her. She rolls her eyes and nudges his back, starting a game of footsies. He finishes off his cereal and stops attacking her feet. She smiles and crosses her ankles, leaning back in her chair.

"You know you don't have to come to school today, right?" She says.

He nods and fiddles with the sleeve of his jumper. Feeling like he needs to hide a little more, he chose to wear a baggy jumper instead of his usual attire. "I want to. I want to see the gang." He bites his lip and scratches the back of his neck. "We should fill them in, too."

"On all of it?" Adrien still hasn't decided what to do about Gabriel being Hawk Moth, and until he does Marinette isn't going to mention it to anyone; it's his to tell, when and if he wants to.

"No. Just on me staying with you for a while, and him not knowing I am." He swallows uneasily, before smirking. "Nino will make some joke about that."

Marinette snorts. "So will Chloé." She glances down at the milk stain on her shirt and makes a face. "I have to change my shirt. Wait for me?"

"No, I was going to walk to school alone."

She rolls her eyes and presses a kiss to his temple as she goes past. "Dork."

. . .

"Hey lovebirds!" Chloé says, pausing on the steps to let them catch up. She raises an eyebrow. "Is there a particular reason why you both disappeared yesterday and have remerged, _together_, now?" She smirks.

"Oh, um, well . . ." Adrien says, missing the suggestive meaning behind her words. He glances at Marinette nervously, who rolls her eyes at Chloé's suggestion.

"We just decided to walk together." She says, linking her arm through Chloé's and starting to usher them up the steps. "So, what did we miss yesterday?"

Chloé fills them in on the school gossip, Sabrina's fifth attempt at trying to apologise to her – she's still trying to figure out a way to tell her she doesn't really want to be friends with her, especially now that she knows they were never really _friends_ – and, after a fair bit of coaxing, the actual school work.

"Oh, and Lila was suspended. That's why she hasn't been here." She grins.

"Really?" Marinette can barely dare to hope.

"_Really_!" Chloé squeals in excitement. "Honestly, I'm not really surprised."

Adrien smiles and grabs Marinette's hand, interlacing their fingers. "Is it bad that I'm happy about that?"

Chloé and Marinette share a look. "No," They say simultaneously, shaking their heads. He snorts.

"Hey!" They turn around and smile at Nino as he bounds over to them. "Long time no see, dudes." He winks at Adrien suggestively, who rolls his eyes.

"Not long enough." Marinette mutters, giggling when Nino glares at her good–naturedly. "I'm kidding."

"Still hurts." He sniffs and wipes away a fake tear. "I can't believe the sweetest girl in the world doesn't want me around!"

"I'm not the 'sweetest girl in the world'!" Marinette says, using air quotes.

Nino boops her nose with his finger. "Oh, yes you are!"

"I agree!" Adrien grins at her.

She directs her glare to him. "Betrayed by my own boyfriend! You're evil." He snorts.

"_Hold up_!" Chloé shouts, making quite a few students look over at them. "You're _going out_? _When did this happen_? _Why didn't you tell me_?" She points an accusing finger at them. "If this happened while I wasn't at school, I swear I will–"

"It was on Monday," Marinette cuts in, grabbing Chloé's finger and pushing it back from her face. "After the akuma attack."

"_You mean I got you together_?" She squeals excitedly.

Nino frowns. "What does the akuma attack have to do with them going out?"

"_You knew_?"

"Yes, answer the question!"

Chloé huffs, putting her hands on her hips. "I put them in a room together."

"Locked us." Marinette says, putting her free hand on her cocked hip.

"In a janitor's closet." Adrien corrects, giving Chloé a deadpanned look.

"Who _cares_? It got you together!" She smiles smugly. "You should be thanking me." She dodges the punch Marinette swings at her (half–heatedly; she doesn't _actually_ want to hit her) and runs up the stairs to Ms Bustier's class, laughing.

. . .

"I'm sorry, your dad did _what_?"

Adrien shooshes Nino quickly, glancing around the cafeteria and hoping no one heard. "It's not a big deal."

"_BS_!" Chloé exclaims, slapping the table. Marinette tries to shoosh her, but she's having none of it. "That is a _huge_ deal, Adrien!"

"It–"

"You need to report it to Child Protective Services." Kagami says bluntly, fidgeting in her seat slightly. Her mother's expecting her to come home for lunch, and she's not entirely sure what the consequences of her not doing so will be.

"It was just a one–time thing." Adrien mutters. If he knew this was how his friends were going to react, he wouldn't have said anything, or he would've asked Marinette to do it for him.

"One–time thing or not, he can't hit you." Nino says, gripping Adrien's shoulders and turning him to face him.

"But–"

"Adrien," Marinette shakes her head slightly. "It's not right."

"_I know_. I just don't get why you're all acting like he tried to kill me." He pushes Nino's hands off of his shoulders.

"Because we love you, and we don't like seeing you hurt." Nino says simply, shocking Adrien to his core. "If one of us came to you and said our parent hit us, how do you think you'd react?"

Adrien bites his lip and looks away from them, fiddling with his fingers in his lap. "The same as you are." He glances up at them. "But it _is_ just a one–time thing." He insists.

"How do you know?" Chloé almost growls, anger bubbling through her veins.

"Because I'm not going to let it happen again."

"Does that mean you're going to CPS?" Kagami asks, but he shrugs.

"I don't know. I don't know what to do."

"You don't have to do anything if you don't want to." Marinette assures him, and he smiles at her softly, reaching over the table to grab her hand.

"Um, _yes you do_!" Chloé insists, but Marinette shakes her head.

"It's up to Adrien. He will do what he wants and what he is comfortable with."

Chloé looks like she's about to protest, but then she nods slightly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"Where are you staying?" Kagami asks, and Adrien shifts slightly, cheeks flushing. He opens and closes his mouth a few times before Marinette takes pity on him.

"With me."

Nino smiles suggestively. "_Really_?"

"Shut up," Adrien mutters and Nino snorts, wrapping an arm around his best friend's shoulder.

"I'm teasing." He says, but Adrien still frowns at him. "Although, I've been to your house Mari. You don't have a spare room." He raises an eyebrow in a silent question, thankfully leaving out the suggestive undertone.

"I slept on the couch last night." Adrien says.

"He wouldn't let me give him my bed, but tonight you are." She frowns at him.

Adrien shakes his head. "No, Mari–"

"You barely slept last night; the least I can do is give you my bed so you're more comfortable." He tries to protest, but she cuts him off. "Do you know if a hawk moth is a butterfly or a moth?"

"Hawk Moth? The villain?" Kagami frowns at her. "Isn't he a person?"

"He's a monster." Adrien mutters, and Marinette frowns at him, every crevice of her face filled with concern. She squeezes his hand in reassurance.

"No, I mean the species. Is it a moth or a butterfly? Google was no help."

"Why do you want to know?" Chloé asks, looking rather bemused.

"It's annoying me." She deadpans, looking so irritated that it causes everyone else to snort. "So? Moth or butterfly?"


	41. Nathalie

**Chapter Forty One – Nathalie**

Adrien watches, bewildered, from Marinette's desk chair as she throws clothes out of her closet, some of which end up on the chaise, which is where she's aiming. Once the closet has been emptied, she opens the draws underneath and upends them. He flushes when he realises that's where she keeps her underwear.

"Um . . . babe? What are you doing?" He scratches the back of his neck.

"You can't live out of a bag." She puts her hands on her hips and scrutinises the closet.

"Pardon?"

She sighs and turns to face him. "You're staying with us for the inevitable future, and since we don't have a spare room, you're sharing mine."

His eyes widen and he shakes his head. "No, Marinette, you don't have to do that! I'm fine!" He tries to smile, but at her raised eyebrow he drops it.

"This is your home," She says, crouching beside his gym bag and unzipping it. She smiles at him. "You deserve to _live_ in it."

He smiles softly and watches her take his clothes out of the bag, admittedly more neatly then she took her own out of her closet. "At least let me help you then." He says, moving to sit beside her. He doesn't actually know what clothes he has with him, since he wasn't really paying attention when she was packing for him.

"Are these okay?" She asks nervously, seemingly realising the same thing he has.

He smiles and kisses her cheek. "More than okay." She grins. "Why did you take all of your clothes out of your closet?"

"Well, there wasn't enough room for your clothing with all of mine, and I need to clean it out anyway." She grimaces at the amount of clothes scattering her bedroom floor. "I don't actually wear half of my clothes."

He looks around the room and picks up one of her skirts that looks familiar. "Have you worn this?"

She glances at it briefly. "Nope." He looks at it again and realises that he's never actually seen her in a skirt. "It's too short." She takes it from him and throws it to an empty spot on her bedroom floor, declaring that the give–away pile.

"Don't you make all of your clothes?" He picks up a shirt and folds it for her.

She holds up a pair of shorts, scrutinises it, before throwing it to where the skirt is. "Some of them. I usually only make clothes for myself if it's for a special occasion." She picks up the shirt Adrien just folded and unfolds it to see what it is.

He realises he's slowing her down so he starts sorting through his own clothes to see what he has. He's surprised to see that in the few minutes she had to pack she managed to pack more then he thought she had. She even grabbed a couple of items for when the weather gets warmer. He leans back on his hands and watches her for a while before moving over to her give–away pile. He starts going through it, folding everything and checking pockets to make sure there's nothing inside. She protests, saying he doesn't have to do that, but he insists.

"Call it payment for my room and board." He says and she rolls her eyes, but smiles.

"It looks pretty good." Marinette says, putting her hands on her hips and scrutinising the closet. They managed to split it in half, although there's a little bit of an overlap for her side because she also has the raincoats and a few other unfinished designs hung up.

"You really didn't have to do this." Adrien says, wrapping and arm around her waist. She leans into him, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

"I want you to be comfortable." She says, smiling at him. He grins and leans down to kiss her but she pulls away. He frowns, confused. "We have a new rule," She tells him, stepping out if his embrace. "Because we're sharing a room, kisses are now sanctioned to when the trap door is open, and when Mum and Dad are directly downstairs."

His shoulders deflate and he pouts. She snorts. "That's not fair!"

She cups his cheeks and nuzzles her nose against his in an Eskimo kiss. "It's a safety thing. Either we no longer kiss in the bedroom, or we no longer kiss at all in the house."

"No kisses in the room." He quickly agrees and she giggles.

"You're a dork."

"I'm _your_ dork!" He grins at her smugly. She hums in agreement and kisses his cheek before stepping back from him.

"Let's go tell Mum and Dad about our handy work!" She grins excitedly and grabs his hand, pulling him through the trap door.

. . .

"Have you finished your homework for the day?" Sabine asks as they sit down to dinner. It's carbonara tonight, one of Adrien's favourites.

"Almost," Marinette says, sprinkling some cheese onto her meal before passing it to Adrien. He quickly passes it to Sabine, and he doesn't miss Marinette's smirk. "We have a chapter of the book we were assigned to read, but that won't take long."

"You two are quite the team." Tom notes, coming over to the table with the garlic bread. He forgot to cut it before putting it in the bread basket, so he had to go back to the kitchen to do so. He leans between the kids to put the basket down. Before he moves to his seat he kisses the top of Marinette's head and ruffles Adrien's hair. "Next you'll be conquering global warming."

"That's for tomorrow night." Marinette grins at her dad.

"How was school?" Tom asks, sprinkling some cheese onto his own meal. He glances at Adrien and smiles. "It wasn't too much?"

"No. It was okay." He smiles shyly. "Knowing I didn't have to go home helped." Marinette pats his knee before picking up her cutlery.

"Will you be okay to go tomorrow?" Sabine checks, and he nods because his mouth is full. She smiles and reaches across the table to squeeze his hand. "Just remember, if it gets too much you can just come home."

"Just tell me before you do," Marinette says, nudging her elbow against his. "You don't need Nino, Chloé, Kagami and I going on a rampage trying to find you."

He giggles. "I'll tell you, but I think I'll be fine."

"Good." Tom grins at them and reaches for the garlic bread. Before he can grab a slice, someone knocks on the front door. They all pause and look at it. "I'll get it." Tom says, wiping his hands on his napkin before walking to the door.

Adrien glances at Marinette nervously, who frowns in response and grabs his hand, interlacing their fingers. Tom pulls the door open, already smiling, but it falls off his face as soon as his eyes meet Nathalie's.

"Oh, um . . ." He clears his throat. "Ms Sancoeur." He looks over his shoulder at Adrien nervously, who looks like he's just seen a ghost. "Hello?"

"I'm sorry," Nathalie blurts out, her gaze flicking between Tom and Adrien. Said boy shifts away from her gaze, scooting his chair closer to Marinette's. "I haven't come to . . . inconvenience you." Her gaze flicks back to Adrien and she holds his gaze. His bottom lip trembles slightly. "And I haven't come to take you back."

"We wouldn't let you, anyway." Tom says, frowning at the women with more hatred then he'd care to admit.

"I understand." Nathalie swallows uneasily. "Adrien," She hesitates. Adrien tilts his head, studying her. He's never seen her so flustered, so unsure. So _human_. "I wanted to let you know that you don't have to worry about your fath–about Gabriel anymore."

Adrien bites his lip and tightens his grip on Marinette's hand. He sees Sabine get up out of the corner of his eye. "Wh– . . . what do you mean?" A hand lands on his shoulder and he jumps slightly, before looking up to see Sabine standing above him, staring Nathalie down with a look only a mother could achieve.

"He handed himself into the police."

A wave of numbness washes over Adrien. His grip on Marinette's hand goes lax. If he wasn't already sitting, he's sure he would've collapsed. He's vaguely aware of Nathalie still talking, going through the logistics of Gabriel's decision, but he can't actually hear any of her words. He watches through blurry, tear–filled eyes as Nathalie hands a small suitcase to Tom. She seems to hesitate, before looking directly at him. The blurriness goes away long enough for him to register the tear running down her cheek and the sad, regretful smile she gives him.

. . .

Marinette stares up at the ceiling, her mind running a million miles a minute. It's weird sleeping without Tikki, but she wanted to sleep with Plagg, and Plagg obviously wanted to sleep with Adrien, so they're both in her room with him. She shifts slightly, trying to get comfortable on the couch. Sabine has already ordered a mattress for Adrien, and they're picking up a bed frame on Saturday. Adrien tried to convince them that he'd be fine sleeping on the couch, and that she didn't need to get rid of her chaise so his bed could go where it is, but they were hearing none of it.

She pushes the blankets off her, thinking maybe she's too hot, but then she gets too cold and pulls them back up. She tries counting, first to a hundred, then back to zero, but rather than making her tired it starts to wake her up more. Wondering if looking at the time will help, she props herself up on her elbow and grabs her phone off the coffee table, making a face when she sees it's just after midnight. She almost hits herself when she sees that her phone is almost out of battery.

Of course _she_ forgot to put it on charge before Adrien went to bed. She contemplates just leaving it for about half a second before throwing the blanket off her and tiptoeing up the stairs to her room. She knocks on the trap door gently and pushes it open.

"Adrien?" She whispers, glancing around the dark room, the only source of light coming in through her skylight.

She listens for his breathing, and when she hears that it is even, she assumes he's asleep and continues into her room. She glances up at her bed nervously, seeing the outline of Adrien asleep, and she smiles to herself before crossing to her desk. She feels around for her phone charger cord and plugs it in, before ducking under the desk to turn the power point on. She realises that she didn't put her phone on silent when it loudly announces that it is charging. She swears under her breath and stands up, hitting her head on her desk as she does so.

"Marinette?" She almost jumps a foot in the air and spins around before looking up at her bed. Adrien stares down at her, propped up on his elbow to see her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," She breathes a sigh of relief and smiles. "I just hit my head." She cringes. "And had to put my phone on charge." He smiles. "I didn't wake you, did I?" She stares up at him worryingly.

"No, I was, uh . . ." He sits up fully. "I was already awake."

"Oh." She shifts nervously and glances around her room, before looking back at him. He's still staring at her, but she can't really make out his expression now that the skylight is behind his head. "I should let you get to sleep." She smiles at him again and turns to go back downstairs.

"Hey, Mari . . ." He trails off and she looks back at him. "Could you, um . . ." He flushes and he's eternally grateful for the darkness of the room. "Could you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?" He bites his lip nervously.

"Of course."

She hears him sigh in relief as she climbs up the steps to her bed. He scoots over so he's closer to the wall and lays down. She climbs under the covers and presses her side against his. He stays still for a moment, before rolling onto his stomach and snuggling against her, burying his head into the pillow just above her shoulder.

"Thank you," He whispers and she smiles, turning her head to press a kiss against this forehead.

"No worries. Nigh–night."

"Night. I love you."

"Not as much as I do."


	42. G-Rated

**Chapter Forty Two – G–Rated**

Marinette wakes to Adrien wrapping an arm around her. She blinks her eyes open to see his face on the pillow next to hers. He smiles sleepily and leans in to capture her lips with his.

"Morning," He murmurs, pulling back.

She smiles and smooths his hair back from his forehead. "Morning." He closes his eyes, relishing in the feeling of her fingers running through his hair. "You forget the rule."

He hums and opens his eyes. "Rule?"

"No kissing in the bedroom."

"Oh," He grins sheepishly. "Right." His hand rubs between her shoulder blades, almost lulling her to sleep again. "Hey, babe?"

"Hmm?" She opens her eyes again. His hand stills and he pulls it back to him, before rolling onto his back. She lifts her head to see his face better, resting her weight on her elbows.

"What did Nathalie say, exactly?" His gaze flicks back to hers.

She puffs out a breath of air and glances from him to her clock to check the time. "She said that Gabriel handed himself into the police, both for the . . . abuse, and for being Hawk Moth." He bites his lip nervously. "Um, and she said that . . . she was handing herself in. As well."

His gaze flicks to hers and he sits up. She does the same. "She . . . she's handing herself in?"

She nods hesitantly, unsure if this knowledge will upset him or not. She sees relief wash over his face and he pulls her into a hug, burring his face in her neck and inhaling her scent.

"Are you okay?" She asks, wrapping her arms around him.

He nods against her. "What else did she say?"

"Um . . ." She runs her fingers through his hair and he hums. "She said something about giving you something that you'd know what to do with." She frowns. "I don't really know, she was mumbling and talking kind of . . ."

"In a code?" He guesses, turning his head to kiss her neck.

She bites her lip. "Y–Yeah." She clears her throat. "And that counts as breaking the rules."

He hums innocently, pressing more kisses to her skin, slowly moving down her neck. "I'm not kissing your lips." He says, and she puffs out a breath of air.

"It's not . . . i–it's not exactly G–rated, though." She inhales sharply when he sucks lightly on her clavicle, before kissing it and pulling back, looking rather smug.

"Kisses are G–rated, are they?"

She narrows her eyes at him and he giggles. "You better not have left a mark." She grumbles, crawling over to the ladder.

"A mark?" He tilts his head at her.

She looks back over her shoulder and takes in his confused expression. "Like a hickey."

"Um . . ."

"You know . . . a love bite." He shrugs slightly and she sighs, before moving back over to him. "Um, sometimes when you like . . ." She flushes and glances away from him. "Make out, you like, kiss the other person's neck. And if you do that too much or you do what you did . . ." She runs her hand over her clavicle and his gaze follows her movement. He flushes. "It leaves a mark."

"And . . . they're called 'hickeys'?"

"Yeah. Or love bites. It means the same thing." She moves to her ladder again and he follows her.

"Are they bad?" He assumes that, since she clearly doesn't want him to give her one, they're probably not desired.

"They're not . . . bad, per se." She bites her lip nervously, taking her phone off its charger. "They're just a little . . . taboo. And kind of . . ." She flushes. "Suggestive."

"Suggestive?" He frowns, tilting his head. "Oh, you mean . . ." He fells his cheeks flush.

"Yeah." She clears her throat. "We'd better get ready for school." She says, changing the subject. "Do you still want to go to school today?"

"Yep. Like your mum said, I can always come home." She smiles at him, taking her clothes out of the closet. "Can I have a shower?"

"You don't have to ask." She says and he smiles, grabbing the same jeans he wore the day before and a random shirt.

"Sor–"

"Puns and running into people _only_, Adrien!"

"Sorry. I–I mean! Not . . . sorry." He smiles sheepishly.

She rolls her eyes fondly and pats his cheek. "Go have a shower."

. . .

"Are you still coming to fencing?" Kagami asks after Adrien's finished updating them on the Gabriel situation.

"Um . . ." He bites his lip, feeling a little taken aback. "I hadn't really thought of that, so . . ."

"I think that's the least of his worries right now." Nino says, getting out of his seat. He pulls Adrien into a hug. "You okay?"

"I . . ." He swallows uneasily. "I'm not sure. I think so; at least as well as I can be."

"That's understandable." Chloé says as Nino pulls away from him. As soon as he lets him go, Chloé tackles Adrien in a hug.

Nino wraps an arm around Marinette's shoulders. "Does the school know?"

She nods. "Mum called Mr Damocles and explained the situation."

He rolls his eyes. "Great, that means . . . Mr Owl or whatever he calls himself will be _on the case_."

Marinette giggles. "The Owl."

"That's it." He shakes his head slightly and watches Chloé whisper something in Adrien's ear. He smiles, pulling away from her.

"Thanks, Chloé." His gaze shifts to Marinette and his smile widens.

"Does that mean your dad's going to prison?" Kagami asks, still feeling a little chagrined by Nino's comment.

"I'm not sure." Adrien says, biting his lip nervously. He sits in his seat and starts taking his things out of his bag so he has something to do. He knows that hitting a child once isn't reason enough for someone to go to jail, but being Hawk Moth certainly is.

"So, you're going to keep staying at Mari's?" Nino asks, releasing Marinette to sit in his own seat. She does the same. "I mean, I don't see anything wrong with it." He assures them. "I just know that it could get a little difficult, especially seeing as you're going out." He shrugs slightly. "I mean, isn't the saying 'distance makes the heart grow fonder' or something?"

Adrien smiles at Marinette and she grins. "I think we'll be okay."

"Okay, seriously lovebirds," Chloé says, rolling her eyes fondly. "You're making us all feel inadequate." Marinette snorts.

"You're okay, though?" Kagami asks, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You haven't seen any akumas heading towards you?"

"No." Adrien smiles to assure her, but his stomach churns uneasily. _What are they all going to think when they learn the truth?_

"There hasn't actually been an akuma attack since Inferno." Nino says, frowning. Marinette bites her lip, glancing at Adrien anxiously. He scratches the back of his neck.

"Do you think he's gone away?" Chloé asks, tilting her head. "Or maybe he's realised it isn't working and he's given up."

"No," Kagami shakes her head. "That doesn't sound like something Hawk Moth would do." She taps her chin thoughtfully, and her expression darkens. "He's planning something; something big."

"You think so?" Nino asks, fiddling with his glasses anxiously.

"Definitely. It's the only explanation."

Adrien shifts uncomfortably. "Maybe we shouldn't jump to conclusions." Kagami raises an eyebrow. "I–I mean, he is a human; it's possible he has gone away."

"Or maybe he's sick." Marinette says, putting her hand on Adrien's knee and squeezing to give him some comfort. He sends her a grateful smile.

"Either way it's a scary thought." Kagami shrugs, and glances at her watch. "Your teacher will be here soon; I'd better get to class." She smiles. "If I don't see you again today, see you tomorrow."

"You're not joining us for lunch?" Chloé asks, disappointment evident in her voice.

Kagami smiles sadly. "Not if I want Mother to let me see the light of day again. See ya."

"Bye!" They watch her leave, before Chloé moves to her own seat.

She frowns, and tilts her head at Adrien. "What about your things?" He frowns, confused. "Like, clothes and stuff? Don't you have to get it?"

"Oh, no." He the scratches the back of his neck. "I have some things, and Nathalie dropped off a suitcase when she stopped by to tell me the . . . news."

"That's good then." She smiles and relaxes back in her seat.

Adrien frowns and turn to whisper in Marinette's ear, remembering something. "Did you open the suitcase?" He knows he hasn't.

She shakes her head. "No, why?"

He bites his lip. "I . . . I think I know why Nathalie was talking in a code."

She frowns. "You . . . you mean?" Her eyes widen.

He nods. "I think we need to go home."


	43. Order Has Been Restored

**Chapter Forty Three – Order Has Been Restored**

For the first time in months, Adrien and Marinette leave school in the least subtle, un–ninja way possible; sprinting through the school and narrowly avoiding running into people. Marinette stumbles but Adrien doesn't break his stride, simply grabbing her hand and pulling her after him. They stumble down the front steps and onto the street, playing a game of chicken with two cars before reaching the door to Marinette's apartment building.

They run up the stairs two at a time and almost slam into her front door. Due to the adrenaline rush, it takes longer for Marinette to get the key in the door than usual, and once it's in and she's turned it, Adrien almost barrels it down in his haste to get up the stairs. She runs after him, not even bothering to shut the front door behind them, and enters her room to Adrien dragging the suitcase out from under the chaise, where Tom had stored it for the time being.

She collapses onto the floor next to him and he unzips it, starting out hastily and then slowing down when his mind catches up with his actions. He presses a hand to his chest and tries to slow his breathing, his hand twitching to flip the cover open to see what's inside. Unable to wait any longer, Plagg phases through it and flips it open from the inside.

"Plagg!" Tikki scolds, and said kwami just rolls his eyes.

"If we left it up to these numbnuts we'd never see what's inside." He gives Adrien an unimpressed look. "There's no cheese! I don't see what all of the running around and hyperventilating is about." Tikki rolls her eyes again.

Marinette smiles at the two kwamis, putting her hand on Adrien's shoulder. "Do you want me to look?" He swallows uneasily, before nodding. He sighs in relief, collapsing against her side in exhaustion. It's been an emotional week.

Marinette lifts the clothes someone – probably Nathalie – packed and places them in a pile on the floor. She sees a rolled–up jumper (odd, seeing as all of the other clothes are folded neatly) and unrolls it. Tikki squeaks in surprise when two short square boxes tumble out, and she and Plagg dart behind Marinette, but peek over her shoulder. Marinette frowns, both out of concern and confusion. She glances at Adrien, but his expression is the same as hers. He looks at her and shrugs before looking back at the boxes. He picks one up gingerly and hesitates briefly before opening it. He frowns at the purple brooch inside.

"Why would he give me this?" He wonders aloud.

"Nooroo!" Plagg and Tikki exclaim.

"Is that . . ." Marinette trails off when both kwamis nod.

"The butterfly Miraculous." Tikki says, moving out from behind Marinette. Plagg follows, but stays close to her side. He grabs some of her hair, and she winces when he pulls slightly.

Marinette looks at the other box and picks it up, opening it as well. Her eyes widen at the blue peacock brooch inside. "Is this Duusu?"

"Yep." Plagg says and she turns to face him. He frowns, worried. "You should probably put it away; as far as we know it's damaged and could endanger anyone who touches it."

Marinette nods in agreement and shuts the box, putting it on the chaise behind them gently. Adrien does the same with the butterfly Miraculous. She removes a few more clothes (and a couple of shoes) until she comes across something which is clearly a book wrapped in a blanket. Already knowing what it is, she doesn't hesitate to unwrap it. She smiles at the spellbook and runs her fingers over the cover, feeling the details of the intricate design under her fingertips.

"I recognise that!" Adrien says, staring at the book in surprise.

"It's the Miraculous spellbook." Marinette says, passing it to him.

He opens it gingerly and flicks through a couple of pages. "This isn't traditional Chinese." He says, frowning at the unfamiliar text on the pages.

"It's a code." Tikki explains. "To protect the spells inside from those who mean harm."

"Can you read it?"

Tikki shakes her head. "Kwamis mustn't learn the code in case they fall into the wrong hands. If we know what it says, it could be used against us. It is best we do not know." Adrien nods his head, understanding.

"We have to go to Master Fu." Marinette says, standing up. She empties out her school bag on her desk and slips the spellbook inside, along with the two boxes.

"What about your parents?" Adrien asks anxiously, getting to his feet.

Marinette bites her lip. "If we leave before school starts, we won't be here when the school calls, and when we come back we can tell Mum and Dad that you couldn't handle school but you also didn't want to just sit around here so we went for a walk instead."

"Are you sure that'll work?" He shifts anxiously, and she grabs his hand, interlacing their fingers.

She smiles. "Positive."

. . .

As soon as they step inside Master Fu's house, he pulls them both into a tight hug, which is rather out of character for the elderly man, but not unwelcome.

"Ladybug, Cat Noir, so good to see you again." He says, pulling back from them. They smile at him shyly. Tikki and Plagg come into view and say a quick hello to Master Fu before darting over to the phonograph, where Wayzz is waiting.

"It's good to see you again too, Master." Marinette says, planting a kiss on his cheek. His smile widens at the girl. "But we're trying to not say our alter ego names around each other, so we can distance ourselves."

"Is it working?" He asks, genuinely curious.

Adrien and Marinette share a look. "We haven't really been able to test it yet, but, I mean . . ." Adrien scratches the back of his neck nervously. "Well, um . . ." He glances at Marinette and she nods, shrugging off her bag.

"We believe these belong to you." She pulls out the spellbook and the two boxes. Adrien expects Master Fu to be surprised, but he merely smiles and takes them from the girl.

He smiles at the kids before crossing to the phonograph. They watch from the other side of the room as he opens the miracle box. He nods once, puts the miracle box back and hides it within the phonograph again. He smiles at the kids.

"Well done, La–Marinette and Adrien; order has been restored." He beams at them, before bowing in a sign of respect. They do the same automatically. Plagg, Tikki and Wayzz cheer.

"Does this mean we have to give up our Miraculous'?" Adrien asks anxiously, and Marinette's eyes widen in fear.

Master Fu smiles kindly. "Not necessarily. While there is no longer the threat of missing Miraculous', I understand that the two of you, as well as Tikki and Plagg have grown very fond of each other." He smiles at the kwamis. "Therefore, it is your decision to make; you can return your Miraculous', or keep a hold of them."

Before either of them can answer, Tikki and Plagg dart forward and tackle their respective holders in a hug.

"Don't send me back to the Miracle box!" Plagg begs Adrien, getting right up in his face. "There's no camembert there!"

"I would miss you too much!" Tikki cries, and tears fill Marinette's eyes and she cups her hands around her kwami.

"I would too, Tikki!"

"And, I suppose I would miss you too." Plagg says to Adrien, feigning reluctance.

Adrien beams, and cups his hands around the kwami, planting a hearty kiss on his head. "I would miss you as well Plagg." He smirks at the kwami. "Although I wouldn't miss the smell of cheese infecting everything I own."

"Hey! Cheese smell is _best_ smell!" Adrien giggles.

"Looks like it's decided then," Master Fu says, as if he didn't already know.

. . .

They stay with Master Fu for a majority of the morning, watching in awe as he lets all of the kwamis out of the miracle box to greet Nooroo and Duusu. What results appears to be a game of tag as they chase each other around the room while Master Fu, Marinette and Adrien sit on the floor and have a cup of tea together, talking about trivial things. Adrien is just questioning Master Fu on if he's going to be able to live 'happily ever after' with Marianne Lenoir (he is) when Marinette's phone rings. Adrien looks at her anxiously, but she smiles reassuringly and excuses herself, stepping outside to take the call in privet.

"Hi Mum."

"Marinette! Oh, thank God! Where are you? Is Adrien with you?" Marinette bites her lip at the worry in her mother's voice and she glances at the door behind her guiltily.

"Yes, Adrien's with me." She says, deciding to start with the easy part. "He, um, he couldn't handle school, but he didn't want to sit around at home, so we went for a walk."

Sabine lets out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God." She repeats, putting her hand on her heart. "That's okay, just, next time . . . tell me."

Marinette giggles. "I promise, Mum. I'm sorry, it didn't cross my mind how worried you would be."

"It's okay. Are you on your way home now?"

"Um . . ." She bites her lip nervously and quickly checks the time. Her eyes widen when she sees its almost midday. "Y–Yes, we'll be home shortly." She hesitates slightly. "We're not in trouble, are we?"

There's a beat of silence, then her mother lets out a small giggle. "No, sweetie. You're not in trouble." Marinette sighs in relief. "Although I'm sure Dad is going to tackle the two of you in a bear hug as soon as he sees you."

Marinette giggles, pushing the door open slightly to look through. She watches Adrien giggle at some banter between the kwamis, and she feels her heart swell. "I hope so."


	44. Twenty Five Years

**Chapter Forty Four – Twenty Five Years**

Friday is an eventful day.

First, Mr Damocles announces that Lila (or at least her mother) has decided to unenroll from school, meaning that it is quite possible they will not hear from her or see her again. Even Ms Bustier doesn't feel guilty about being happy about hearing the news, and Nino is almost positive she sends them a secretive smile again.

Then when Marinette, Adrien and Chloé go to the bakery for lunch, Sabine takes Adrien aside and explains that she received a visit from a social worker named Kelly Huckvale who has been assigned his case. She explains that Mrs Huckvale wishes to speak to him over the phone that afternoon so they can discuss what Adrien wants.

"You mean, I get to make decisions for myself?" Adrien asks Sabine, shock plainly written across his face.

She smiles and pulls him into a hug. "Oh, Adrien. You should have _always_ been able to make your own decisions."

Sabine then tells him, Marinette and Chloé that the 'arrest' of Hawk Moth will become public knowledge on the news that night. Chloé is shocked, obviously, and asks a billion questions (mainly about how Sabine knew when _she_ didn't). Her questioning continues all the way to school, which is how the rest of their class learns the news. When Chloé announces that Marinette's mother was the one to reveal the news, and the whole class turns to said girl and starts bombarding her with questions, Marinette mumbles something along the lines of _Nadja Chamack_, and the questions eventually peter out.

"Are you okay?" Marinette asks Adrien as they enter the bakery, a little out of breath after ninjaing their way home.

"I'm okay." He smiles before kissing her, wrapping his free arm around her waist, the other still holding the door open. They both flush when Sabine coos at them, having watched their interaction (and _maybe_ recorded it to play at their wedding) from behind the counter. "Sorry," He mumbles, glancing at Sabine embarrassingly.

She waves her hand dismissively, putting her phone back on the counter. "So long as you're not in your bedroom with the door shut and you're being safe, it's _fine_." She wraps them both in hugs, before questioning them about their days while brushing invisible dust off their shoulders in that way mothers do.

"Do you know when Mrs Huckvale is calling?" Adrien asks as Tom wraps him and Marinette in a bear hug, pressing kisses to both of their heads before releasing them. He keeps his hands on the kids' shoulders.

"She said around four o'clock, right honey?" Tom says. Sabine nods, passing the kids a plate of cookies and two cheese sticks.

"We'd better start our homework then." Marinette says, taking Adrien's free hand and pulling him up the stairs. "We'll listen for the phone!" She calls over her shoulder.

"Okay!" Both of her parents say and Adrien snorts.

"I love it when they talk in sync with each other."

Marinette smiles, pausing on the stairs to the middle floor to kiss him. Seeing as she's one step up from him, he has to tilt his head up to reach her mouth, but he doesn't mind. "You wait until they start saying the same thing seconds after each other."

He grins, before pressing their lips together again. She releases his hand to thread her fingers through his hair and he hums, wrapping his free hand – his other holding the plate of cookies, which somehow haven't fallen – around her waist to pull her flush against him.

"Can you stop with the gross stuff and give me the cheese stick already?" Plagg grumbles, and they pull apart, giggling, while Tikki scolds him for ruining their 'moment'.

"Is this against the rules?" Adrien asks, ignoring Plagg.

Marinette raises an eyebrow. "Are we in our room?"

He grabs her hand again. "Nope!" He smiles smugly and she rolls her eyes, bumping her hip against his before continuing up the stairs.

"Come on, we have algebra to do."

"Can't we do something else? I hate algebra!"

"I hate physics but you still make me do that."

". . . Touché."

. . .

"Hello? My name is Kelly Huckvale, I'm calling in relation to Adrien Agreste?"

"Um . . . speaking?" Adrien says, glancing at Marinette and Sabine (who has only just run up the stairs, having heard the phone ring). The two women smile at him encouragingly. "Y–You're speaking with Adrien."

"Hello Adrien, I am Mrs Huckvale, but you can call me Kelly is you prefer." He can hear the smile in her voice, and her soft–spoken and friendly–sounding personality immediately puts him at ease.

"H–Hello." For the most part.

Mrs Huckvale laughs. "No need to be nervous, sugar. There's nothing to worry about." He smiles shyly. "Are you comfortable talking to me over the phone, or would you rather we wait to talk in person? Or would you like me to talk to Mrs Chang instead?"

"Um . . ." He takes the telephone away from his ear. "She wants to know if I want to talk to her or if I want you to." He whispers to Sabine, who smiles kindly.

"It's up to you." He bites his lip nervously and glances at the phone in his hand. "Do you want me to talk to her first?"

"Yes please." He passes the phone to her, relieved the responsibility of talking to Mrs Huckvale has been passed on. He sits back at the kitchen table, across form Marinette, and continues his homework.

"Mrs Huckvale? It's Sabine Chang." Sabine says, taking a seat on the couch.

"Hello Sabine. Adrien didn't feel comfortable talking?"

"Not right now, perhaps after he has met you in person, although I will ask again before I let you go." Sabine says, glancing at the kids and smiling.

Mrs Huckvale begins by asking Sabine how Adrien has been since he's been with her, and of what he has told her of his home life. Sabine lets her know that's she's known Adrien for quite a while, and was aware before he came to live with them that he had a rather cold and distant father, and a rather unhappy homelife ("Not that he ever said as much, it was just obvious by his demeanour.").

Mrs Huckvale, having already asked for some information on the Dupain–Chang home life when she stopped by earlier in the day to introduce herself (meaning she is aware of Marinette and Adrien's relationship, and agrees with how Tom and Sabine are handling it), then moves onto how the court proceedings will go.

"Seeing as the sole act of abuse that Mr Agreste has confessed to is, to put it simply, if a little unkindly, not enough to permit a conviction, and almost not worth it to put a charge against, I will advise Adrien that, unless there is more abuse and neglect that he wishes to see justice for, it would be best to hold off taking Mr Agreste to court on the grounds of child abuse." Mrs Huckvale explains. "After much deliberation, Mr Agreste has admitted to being guilty of being Hawk Moth, and has been sentenced to serve twenty–five years with no chance of parole."

"Only twenty–five?" Sabine asks, shocked. She looks back at the kids, her heart clenching as she watches her daughter and newly appointed foster son play footsies under the table, while still focusing on their homework.

"I know," Mrs Huckvale sighs. "It doesn't seem long enough when you think of all he's inflicted on the people of Paris, but the defence originally argued that fifteen years would be enough. Thankfully, the judge disagreed." She lets out a noise of amusement. "I believe he was a bit biased; He himself has been akumatised, and I think many of his friends and family have been as well."

"What about Ms Sancoeur?" Sabine whispers to not draw attention, but she sees Adrien and Marinette tense slightly and look at her out of the corner of her eye. She is grateful that Adrien made the decision to give her the telephone; she can't bring herself to think about what this information would do to the poor boy.

"She admitted to being guilty as well, and was sentenced eighteen years. The prosecutors offered her a deal of fifteen years with a chance of parole after ten in exchange for information of Raymond Barre's knowledge, but she revealed he was as unaware as Adrien. Raymond, himself, testified to having no prior knowledge of Mr Agreste being Hawk Moth, and the judge and legal team are inclined to believe him, especially as there is no evidence contradicting his statement."

"So, there's no trial?" Sabine asks, glancing back at the kids. They're both staring at her, expressions filled with worry.

"No, there's no trial."

"It's over then?" Sabine can't help but smile, before another thought knocks the breath out of her. "What about Adrien's mother? Emilie Agreste?"

Mrs Huckvale sighs sadly. "Mrs Agreste has been taken to a long–term comatose facility after being checked over by a doctor." She hesitates slightly, and Sabine holds her breath. "If Adrien wants, I can make arrangements for him to visit her. I will ask if he wishes to visit Mr Agreste and/or Nathalie to say his final goodbyes to them; closure is an important step for children in moving forward, it prevents fantasies of their parents coming back into their lives."

"Yes, I can understand that." Sabine says, sending Adrien a comforting smile. He wipes his eyes on the back of his hand before getting up from the table. Marinette follows him up to their bedroom. "I'm afraid Adrien is a little bit upset right now, so he won't be able to talk to you."

"I understand. Give him my best wishes. Did I remember to give you the out–of–hours social services number this morning?"

"Yes, you did."

"Good. Feel free to call that if you have any problems or questions over the weekend, and feel free to call my number during the week if you need to. Would I be able to call you at some point on Monday or Tuesday to set up a time to meet Adrien? And I would love to meet Marinette as well; she sounds like an absolute sweetheart!"

"Of course, you can call at any time and either Tom or I will answer. Just a heads up, we'll have a box of macaroons waiting for you when you do come to meet the kids."

"You are too kind, Sabine." Mrs Huckvale laughs again. "I'll let you go now; I have some paperwork to do before I head home and see what my husband and children have gotten into today." She sighs, but her feigned annoyance is obvious, and Sabine smiles. "Sometimes I swear I have five children instead of just four."

Sabine smiles, thinking about her own family, now including a certain blond–haired boy. "I know _exactly_ what you mean."


	45. Raincoats and Umbrellas

**Chapter Forty Five – Raincoats and Umbrellas**

Marinette and Sabine giggle to themselves at the barley muffled swear words drifting down from the kids' bedroom. It turns out that dismantling a chaise lounge and assembling a bed frame are quite _fiddly_ things to do, and require quite a few swear words and vows to never buy another piece of furniture again, already assembled or otherwise.

"Should I check on them?" Marinette asks, after there's the sound of something heavy being dropped, and then a word that Tom _definitely_ shouldn't be saying in front of his children.

Sabine giggles again, eyes sparkling with mirth. "I think it's best we leave the boys to do this themselves, we'll just get in their way."

Marinette's about to protest when she hears another thud, and then the distinct sound of Adrien saying a word that ordinarily would never be allowed. She snorts. "I think you're right."

The mother and daughter return to their previous activity – Ultimate Mecha Strike III – but continue to giggle to themselves. Half an hour later, and quite a few bruises from pieces of furniture falling on feet and fingers accidently being hammered, Adrien and Tom bring the dismantled chaise downstairs and store it by the front door, ready to drop down to the charity store later in the day.

"Have you finished?" Marinette asks excitedly, pausing the game (Sabine doesn't mind, she was going to lose).

Adrien grins excitedly and holds his hand out to her. "Yep! Come see!" Giggling, Marinette grabs his hand and they run up the stairs together.

Tom smiles at his wife as she gets up, and he wraps his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Aren't we lucky?" He murmurs.

Sabine smiles, leaning her head against her husband's chest, where his heart is. "The luckiest." She agrees, tilting her head up to look at Tom. His smile widens and he leans down to capture her lips with his.

. . .

"_Yes_!" Adrien cries, jumping to his feet and throwing his hands up in victory, his controller clutched tightly in his grip. "I win! I win! I win!" He chants happily, dancing around a giggling Marinette.

She squeaks in surprise when he lifts her out of her chair, swinging her around before setting her on the ground, his arms still wrapped tightly around her. Before she can say anything, he captures her lips with his. She responds immediately, reaches up to thread his fingers through her hair. He pulls away, grinning, earlier then she'd like.

"I _win_," He says, his tone sing–song.

She giggles. "You broke the _rules_." She says, matching his tone.

He scoffs and rolls his eyes in a fashion that is so similar to Chloé she could almost mistake the two. "Yes, and you are _so_ disappointed." He says sarcastically, booping her nose with his.

She rolls her eyes and shoves him away from her good–naturedly. "Dork."

"Your dork!" He exclaims, pulling her back to him.

"You're overtired!" She says, but relaxes into him anyway. She breaths in his scent and smiles softly, recognising the smell of their laundry detergent in his pyjama shirt.

"Probably." He agrees, glancing at the time on the corner of her computer screen. He winces when he sees it's after midnight. "We should go to bed; we don't want to be too tired to continue our competition tomorrow."

She giggles softly and kisses his cheek, before pulling back from him. "Hopefully you don't fall out of you chair again."

"Hey!" She snorts at his affronted look. "That was _one_ time!"

"Yep!" She kisses the corner of his lips before turning to her computer to shut it down. "And I'm going to remind you of it _every day_ so you never forget."

He sticks his tongue out and she giggles again. "Just you wait, I'll get dirt on you soon enough!" He smirks at her, putting their controllers away.

"It won't be difficult," She says, grinning at him. "I'm _madly_ clumsy, remember?"

He smiles softly and shrugs, tucking their chairs under the desk. He wraps his arms around her again and kisses her cheek, relaxing against her. "I love you anyway."

She smiles, running her hand up and down his back in soothing circles. "And despite your habit of telling _really _bad puns, and your dislike of cheese, and the unfortunate time you fell out of your chair because you were leaning to close to the computer in an attempt to win the game," He snorts and tightens his arms, nuzzling his nose against her hair, breathing in the smell of her shampoo and conditioner. She pulls back from him slightly to see his face, and she moves her hand from his hair to his cheek, stroking it with her thumb lovingly. "I love you anyway too."

He leans his forehead against hers and nuzzles her nose in an Eskimo kiss. "See, that right there is prime poetry."

. . .

Marinette beams at the sky, happier than a person should be capable of being over the fact that it's pouring down rain.

"Why are you so happy?" Adrien asks, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and watching her beam at the sky through her skylight from his bed. _His bed_!

"_It's raining_!"

"I can hear that." He climbs out of bed, tugging his pyjama pants up, and opens the blinds covering the window above the desk. He makes a face at the dark clouds blocking out majority of the sun. "Why are you happy? Don't get me wrong, rain is nice, but–"

"I've been waiting for this!" She squeals happily and almost jumps down the stairs, twirling in a circle with her arms spread out around her, grinning.

"Again, why?" He and Plagg share a look, completely confused.

The black cat kwami pokes Adrien's shoulder. "I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry!" Tikki says, rolling her eyes.

"Like you aren't, sugar cube!"

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Please don't fight." Adrien says, rolling his eyes.

"Because of the raincoats!" Marinette exclaims, opening the closet doors.

"_Oh_!" Adrien says, finally getting what she's talking about. "Did you want to wear yours today?"

She smiles at him, pulling a green raincoat out of the closet. "Something like that." Her gaze flicks between him and the coat pointedly. He tilts his head, starting to get confused again.

Plagg rolls his eyes. "Lord, you're dense!"

"I'm not dense!" Adrien exclaims, pouting.

Marinette snorts. "This is yours!" She says, passing it to him. He stares at it wide eyed, having forgotten she had made him one. And that it was green. "I'm going to send a message to the gang and ask if they're free to come over for a couple of hours. I want to take some pictures of everyone in their raincoats."

"This is _amazing_!" Adrien says, putting it on over his pyjamas.

Plagg darts around it, investigating it, and he squeals in excitement when he discovers that the inside breast pocket for him has a fleece lining for extra comfort and warmth. "I can sleep!"

Marinette giggles and moves over to them. She pulls the other half of the coat open to reveal the other inside breast pocket. "This one's insulated for cheese."

"You're amazing!" Adrien says, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Thank you." She goes to kiss his cheek, but he turns his head quickly to capture her lips.

"Can you stop with the gross stuff, already? I'm _starving_, I need _cheese_!"

"_Plagg_! They're having a moment! Your cheese can wait!"

"No, it can't! I'm _dying_ of starvation!"

. . .

Thankfully everyone is free, and Chloé and Kagami both jump at the chance to help their everyday Ladybug out (and get some amazing _Marinette Original_ raincoats in the process), and Nino agrees to be the camera man. If Alya can come.

"I really want to help you," He says, biting his lip anxiously. He didn't want to ask Marinette over text, so he video called her. "But I did promise to hang out with Alya today."

"Alya can come if she wants to, that's perfectly fine. But you don't have to help out if you would prefer to spend time with just Alya." Marinette assures him, but he insists. Truthfully, Marinette misses Alya dreadfully, and she can't see herself _not_ forgiving her.

This leads to Tom and Sabine going from having just two children to six children sitting in their lounge room, getting last minute alterations done on their raincoats.

"You look like a rainbow!" Alya exclaims, looking over her phone. With Marinette's raincoat being blue, Adrien's green, Chloé's yellow and Kagami's red, it makes the lounge room look _very_ colourful.

"I suppose so." Marinette says, getting up from her knees from picking a thread around the hem of her own raincoat. "I hadn't really planned on that; the fabric only comes in solid colours, so if I wanted to do a print, I'd have to make it myself."

"You can do that?" Nino asks, taking Marinette's coat off gingerly, having put it on so she could move around it easily to see what needed fixing, without having to go upstairs to use her dressmaker's dummy.

"Yep." She smiles, shrugging her coat on. She does up the buttons and adjusts the belt around her waist so it sits comfortably. "There's some technology that goes into it though, so I won't be able to do it for a while, but it's a possibility for the future."

"That's cool." Kagami says, smoothing her hands over her coat for the hundredth time since putting it on.

Marinette makes a noise of agreement, before looping her arm through Chloé's and grinning. "If everyone's ready to go, we'd better head to the park now. It might stop raining soon."

"I'll bring the umbrella." Nino says, picking up the black umbrella Marinette brought down from her room, the one Adrien gave her.

It's a short walk to the park, and as if the gods are shining down on them, when they arrive the rain actually picks up a bit more. With some tips from Adrien, Nino and Alya direct their models on how they want them to stand, and which direction they want them to look. They take one of Chloé sitting on the edge of the fountain, holding the umbrella in one hand and trailing her other hand in the water, smiling to herself. Then they have Kagami walk through the trees with her hands in her pockets and her hood up. Everyone's favourite, however, is the one Alya insists on taking of Marinette and Adrien. The two of them huddle under the umbrella, their noses touching as if they're about to kiss, with love–sick grins on their faces. Adrien's free arm is wrapped around her waist, the other holding the umbrella.

The funniest part, however, is when Adrien accidentally pushes the button and it closes on their heads.

. . .

Kagami, Chloé, Nino and Alya end up staying for lunch, after which they start to play a game of Monopoly (Adrien gets stuck being the hat, and pouts for the first ten minutes of the game), stopping when Kagami has to go home. Alya then goes into interrogation mode and starts questioning Adrien on how he's doing since finding out Gabriel is Hawk Moth. Thankfully, Nino and Chloé are able to distract her with macaroons to allow Adrien to escape up to the balcony. Marinette follows him, putting her coat back on because it's still raining.

"Hey," She says, leaning on the railing next to him. Because they both have the hoods of their raincoats up, they have to actually look directly at each other to see each other's faces.

"Hey." He bumps his shoulder against hers, relishing in her warmth spreading to him even through the rain and their coats. "Do you think you and Alya are going to go back to being best friends?"

She smiles softly, watching the cars driving past them on the streets below, their headlights making the raindrops visible as they drive through them. "No."

"_No_?" He gapes at her before frowning, concerned. _Is she still really hurt by everything? She hasn't really said anything since it all went down_.

She turns her head to look at him, and the amount of love in her eyes fills him with warmth, and he feels the fire in his heart burn brighter than it ever has. "No, because _you're_ my best friend, Adrien."

"I am?" He smiles, unable to take his eyes from hers.

She hums in agreement. "Do you know why?" He shakes his head, letting his forehead rest against hers. Her eyes flutter, and she tilts her head up until their noses touch. "Because I'm much more me when I'm with you."


	46. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this story. When I started, I didn't have a plan, I didn't have a schedule, and I didn't have the foggiest clue of _where_ this story takes place in the _Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir_ timeline (my guess, season three, but like I said, foggiest clue).

I didn't know if I would finish this story or not; this is actually the first story I've ever written that I've actually finished. I wrote the first chapter with the intention of it being a two–shot or something, but then as I was writing more ideas kept popping into my head and I kept writing, kept making more chapters.

My main idea was Adrien and Marinette become friends, then Chloé – because she also became an outcast – would join them, and the three of them would be friends. Then I remembered Kagami, then Nino, but I couldn't have Alya a part of their group because she was a huge piece of ammo for Lila. If Lila didn't have Alya, she didn't have a major way to hurt Marinette, but Nino wouldn't be a part of the group without Alya if they were together, so, I broke them up with the intention of them getting back together, I just wasn't sure when or how because, again, I didn't have a plan. I just wrote what came to my head and prayed it continued to make sense.

My original plan for how the ending would go – at least, the idea (again, _no_ plan) – included Gabriel giving up the butterfly Miraculous, but still being in Adrien's life. He would go back to how I assume he was when Emilie was around, and it would be happy families. Then I saw _Cat Blank_, and I watched him manipulate and abuse his own son, force him to do something he so clearly didn't want to do, and I couldn't bring myself to let Adrien stay with a person like that.

If I wanted to, I could've continued the story to the point where Adrien meets Kelly Huckvale (who is actually a social worker in Paris, according to my Google search, 'social workers in Paris'), but to be honest it didn't really tie in with the story. This isn't a foster care story, it isn't about what happens after Hawk Moth is defeated, and to include the long–term aftermath of Gabriel's destruction on Adrien's life would just stretch the story out and change the overall concept of it.

As to the question of 'why' Gabriel handed himself in; there's simply no answer. That is the kind of question only Gabriel himself could answer. It could be guilt or remorse, maybe Nathalie convinced him, maybe watching his child abandon him is what did it. Perhaps he handed himself into the police so it still seemed like he was the one in control, not them. I don't have the answers to these questions because I simply don't know. The mind of an abuser and villain is a scary place, and it is not something I wish to put myself into. (I assume Nathalie handed herself into the police either because of guilt, or because she figured if she didn't hand herself in, Gabriel may try to blame it all on her.)

I realise there are still some unanswered questions, such as what happens with Lila, does she come back or is that it, will she try to hurt Marinette again, will she go to a new school, new country, and continue the cycle of bullying and lies that surround her? Then there's The Gorilla, 'Raymond'. I assume he gets a job being the bodyguard for someone else, but he still cares deeply for Adrien, and perhaps visits him from time to time. Perhaps, on Adrien and Marinette's wedding day, he's in the crowd, wiping his tears away and so very proud of the kid he once chased through a zoo.

I don't have answers to these questions, so I leave it up to your imagination in terms of what happens after the story ends. There will be no sequel, no follow–up or one–shot of any kind; this is it. The end.

. . .

P.S.

I have gone back through previous chapters and edited any grammar/spelling mistakes, and changed a few small details so the story flows better and stays on track. Please let me know if anything else needs fixing if you happen to read it again (besides the lack of knowledge of French cuisine – I'm Australian, we did two school terms of French in year seven, and all I remember is how to count to ten). I do appreciate, love and read you're reviews, sometimes over and over again, and quite a few of them have actually inspired events within the story, so I thank you dearly for that.


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